advertorial
A tough pill to swallow
for 1 million Australians
N
o one enjoys swallowing medication, but for about
1 million Australians who have trouble swallowing, also
known as dysphagia, it can be a difficult and painful
daily struggle. 1
One of those Australians is 83-year-old Val Regan, who has
a neurological condition that makes swallowing medication
extremely difficult.
“You try to get it right down, but it comes back up again,”
Mrs Regan said. “I have seen Val try to take a pill three times and
bring it back up. Literally Val was choking,” said Val’s husband
Stan Regan.
Dysphagia can develop at any stage of life, but those most at risk
include people taking multiple medications, anyone consuming
large tablets, people with a dry mouth caused by medication or
illness, children transitioning to tablets and oncology patients.
It can also develop as a result of Parkinson’s disease, motor
neurone disease, dementia and damage to the brain or structures of
the head and neck.
The condition is so widespread among older Australians, it’s
estimated that 40-50 per cent of people living in aged care facilities
are suffering from dysphagia. 2
Many healthcare providers attempt to help patients ingest
medications by crushing tablets or opening capsules, but doing so
can impact the effectiveness and increase the risks associated with
some medications.
Medications are often mixed with food substances like yoghurt,
fruit puree or jam, but none of these have been designed for use
with medications and may have unintended consequences for the
efficacy of the medication.
Enter Gloup ® , the first and only purpose designed medication
lubricant available in Australia. The slippery gel encapsulates the
medication, making it easier to swallow.
“It slides right down,” said Mrs Regan.
“I wish we’d had it for our kids when they were younger,”
said Mr Regan.
Gloup ® is formulated with ingredients that have no known
interactions with medications and is designed to break down
quickly when in the stomach, having
minimal or no impact on the
absorption of the medication.
The Society of Hospital
Pharmacists Australia publishes
the clinical guidance handbook
Don’t Rush to Crush, which
outlines which medications
can and cannot be crushed,
and recommends the use of
medication lubricants.
In 2018, Mundipharma secured
the exclusive distribution rights
to Gloup ® in Australia and
New Zealand and is working to
significantly increase access for patients
in need.
“Mundipharma is a trusted source of information and education
across primary care, hospital, aged care and retail pharmacy, so
I am thrilled that Mundipharma will be able to help even more
Australians benefit from this important product,” said Jane Orr,
Managing Director of Mundipharma Australia and New Zealand.
“Gloup ® addresses a serious need for many patients who are
acutely unwell and may be in significant pain, making this aspect of
their care so much easier and more comfortable.”
Gloup ® is available in vanilla, orange, strawberry/banana, and
low sugar raspberry, and two levels of thickness, depending on the
severity of swallowing difficulty. ■
Always read the label. Follow the directions for use. If symptoms
persist, see your healthcare professional. A healthcare professional
should be consulted in the case of moderate-severe dysphagia.
Further information is available from Mundipharma Pty Limited,
88 Phillip Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. Phone 1800 188 009 or email
[email protected].
®
GLOUP is a registered trade mark
www.gloup.com.au
References
1. Speech Pathology Australia’s submission to Australian Government’s Department of Health: Electronic Health Records and Healthcare Identifiers: Legislation
Discussion Paper. 24 June 2015. https://www.myhealthrecord.gov.au/sites/g/files/net5181/f/094_-_speech_pathology_australia.pdf?v=1526130629
2. https://www.racgp.org.au/download/documents/Guidelines/silverbook.pdf
agedcareinsite.com.au
7