Administering Liquids

Liquid medications are used in several different ways. Some are intended to be used externally on the skin; some are placed in the eye, ear, nose, or throat; still others are taken internally. Before taking or using any liquid medication, carefully read the label for specific directions.

A suspension is a liquid product containing particles that settle to the bottom of the container. It must be shaken before use so each application contains the right proportion of ingredients. If you don't shake it well each time, you may not get the correct amount of the active ingredient, and as the amount of liquid remaining in the bottle becomes smaller, the drug could become more concentrated. Thus, you may be getting more of the active ingredient than you need. A dose could even reach toxic levels.

If a liquid medication is for application to the skin, pour a small quantity onto a cotton pad, a piece of gauze, or a cotton-tipped applicator. (Don't use a large piece of cotton or gauze, since it will absorb more medication than is needed, resulting in waste.) Don't pour the medication into your cupped hand; you may spill some of it. Never dip cotton-tipped applicators, pieces of cotton or gauze, or your fingers directly into the bottle itself, however.

Liquid medications that are to be swallowed must be measured accurately. When your doctor prescribes one teaspoonful of medication, he or she is thinking of a 5-milliliter (mL) medical spoon. The ordinary teaspoons you have at home can hold anywhere from 2 to 10 mL of liquid. If you use one of these to measure your medication, you may get too little or too much drug with each dose. Ask your pharmacist for a medical teaspoon or one of the other plastic devices for accurately measuring liquid medications. Most of these cost only a few cents; they are well worth their cost in ensuring accurate dosage. Incidentally, while it's true that many children balk at medication taken from a teaspoon, they often enjoy taking it from a special spoon.

Another option is to use medication in the form of nose drops or nasal sprays. Since bacteria from your nose can easily enter the container and contaminate the solution, the next section will review how to properly hold and administer these medications.