When it comes to children’s health and wellness, understanding more about the medications that kids take to treat common conditions like sore throats, earaches and cold or flus can help parents develop better strategies for increasing medication compliance.

Best of all, the better knowledge that parents have of drugs, the easier it will be for them to make youngsters excited about getting healthy again. But in order to gain that level of insight into how medications work, parents often have to do a little research.

When a child is sick, it may be tough for parents to set aside time to learn more about medications – all you want to do is stay by your little guy or gal’s side! Thankfully, your local pharmacist can be a great source of information and can help you make informed choices about your child’s treatments.

Consider these five questions, which can help you learn more about liquid medications before you give them to a youngster.

1. Are there side effects to watch for?
While many children’s medications may not have side effects, it’s essential that you be prepared to meet whatever challenges come your way. If drowsiness, loss of appetite, sleeplessness or lack of concentration are among the side effects of medication, knowing this in advance can help you better care for your child.

2. Should drugs be taken with food?
You wouldn’t want to give kids a bellyful of cough syrup or sore throat medication on an empty stomach if you could avoid it. Understanding how much grub to give kids can make medication more effective.

3. Will this conflict with other medications?
Whether a child has a pre-existing health condition like asthma or attention deficit disorder or is taking multiple medications to treat the illness he or she has, you want to ensure that your little one won’t be adversely impacted by mixing certain types of drugs.

4. How often should this be given?
Most pharmacists will clearly indicate the time frame with which you should administer doses, but double-checking can help reduce confusion.

5. Is custom flavoring available?
You may not think to ask this question first, but when it comes to making kids happy during medicine-time, custom flavoring of liquid medications can be crucial! Children love the option of picking out the perfect flavor for their medicines, and enjoying the taste of the treatment can make it easier for parents when they have to deliver a spoonful to kids.