{
  "abstract": "Context The default choice of medication for children is usually liquid formulations. However, these are associated with many challenges including high cost, poor taste, limited availability, complex prescribing and dose administration, as well as a typically higher carbon footprint than their solid oral dosage form (pill) counterparts. 1 KidzMed is a recognised and validated training programme that teaches children to swallow pills, broadening medication options for children and teaching them a life-skill to aid with future healthcare management.2 Evidence to date has proven that this is effective in healthcare settings, and healthcare professional led/supported sessions. The research team has also successfully taught student healthcare professionals the KidzMed technique in universities globally so that they can use this in their future practice.Evidence suggests that it is good to expose children to health interventions when they are well, for example via teddy bear hospitals, to desensitize them to these situations, and facilitate enhanced understanding and coping techniques should they become unwell.3 With additional benefits including improved student communication skills with paediatrics for those involved in these interventions. To date, no similar activities have been explored around medication taking.This work presents a pilot where student pharmacists trained in the KidzMed technique engaged with the local Scouts- specifically the Cubs section. The Scouts’ mission ‘supports young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society’.4 The KidzMed team view pill swallowing as a life-skill. This aligns well with the structure and ethos of Scouting where badges are collected for life-skills including activities connected to health and fitness.Three student pharmacists and two academics were invited to spend an evening with 17 Cubs (Aged 8 - 10.5 years) for a pharmacy outreach event. Here, we hosted an introductory session on medicines, medication taking, and medicine safety. This was followed by training on the KidzMed technique in small groups using sweets as dummy pills.Feedback from parents/carers showed that the event was well-received. The cubs were majority boys and really looked up to the older male student pharmacists in particular. Cubs ‘really enjoyed’ the evening ‘thought it was helpful’ and demonstrated their new skill to their family when they went home. The students also valued engaging with the cubs (10/10) and felt that it was ‘rewarding’ to do ‘hands-on practice’ of the KidzMed technique that they had learned in university. They also reported that it was a valuable learning opportunity to communicate with children of this age.Conclusion This pilot demonstrates that pill swallowing is a life-skill and KidzMed can be taught to healthy children in non-healthcare settings. Public engagement and health promotion is a key part of modern healthcare and embedding this in student pharmacist training positively impacts student experience but also communities emulating multi-agency goals (university, Scout and KidzMed). Future work will build on the existing pilot with an aim for all student pharmacists to demonstrate utilisation of the KidzMed training with members of the public.References 1 Ranmal SR, O’Brien F, Lopez F, et al. Methodologies for assessing the acceptability of oral formulations among children and older adults: a systematic review. Drug Discovery Today 2018;23(4):830–47.2 Tse Y, Vasey N, Dua D, et al., The KidzMed project: teaching children to swallow tablet medication. Archives of Disease in Childhood 2020;105(11):1105–7.3 Leonhardt C, Margraf-Stiksrud J, Badners L, et al. Does the ‘Teddy Bear Hospital’ enhance preschool children’s knowledge? A pilot study with a pre/post-case control design in Germany. Journal of Health Psychology 2014;19(10):1250–60.4. Scouts UK. Activity badges. Scouts UK. 2025 [cited June 2025]. Available from: https://www.scouts.org.uk/activity-badges/?term=health",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Liverpool John Moores University, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Rebecca Hetherington"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Liverpool John Moores University, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Lewis Doughty"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Liverpool John Moores University, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Barry Donaghue"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Liverpool John Moores University, UK"
      ],
      "name": "John Donnelly"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Mersey Weaver Scouts, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Yvonnne Woodward"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Great North Children’s Hospital, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Nicola Vasey"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Great North Children’s Hospital, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Yincent Tse"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Great North Children’s Hospital, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Emma Lim"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Liverpool John Moores University, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Alice McCloskey"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P66 Teaching life-skills (KidzMed pill swallowing) to cubs",
  "uid": "739344ee-82e3-5ca8-9638-1cb547325abc"
}