Abstract
We performed a questionnaire survey to evaluate the clinical effects and sensory perceptions of orally disintegrating (OD) ebastine tablets to determine whether this tablet can positively contribute to improved compliance in children with perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR). OD ebastine tablets (5mg for children weighing≥40kg and 10mg for those weighing≥40kg) were administered to 124 children with PAR once daily for 2 weeks. After the administration period, the nasal symptoms were observed to significantly improve. The sensory perceptions were analyzed based on the results of the questionnaire which was performed at the time of consultation, and 75.0% of children who received the 5-mg tablets replied that the “OD tablets are easy to take” in comparison to conventional drugs. The major reason for this was reported to be due to its “good taste”, which was more frequently observed than such alternative reasonsas:“can take anywhere” or “water is not necessary” which were associated with the patients' approval of this medication. In contrast, the “easiness of taking” was similar between OD tablets and conventional drugs in children who received 10mg tasteless tablets. Therefore, the most important factor supporting the fact that these tablets were easier to take than traditional ones was the taste. These results suggest that OD ebastine tablets are useful for the treatment of PAR, and, in particular, the 5mg OD tablets have a good taste and therefore can positively contribute to an improved compliance, especially among children.
