A pediatric range is built almost entirely around liquids: dry syrups, oral suspensions, syrups and drops in small packs. It is prescribed mainly by paediatricians and family doctors, and because children’s prescriptions are frequent and seasonal, a pediatric range can bring regular orders through chemists close to children’s clinics.
This guide looks at the range from the trade side: who prescribes it, what partners usually stock, what the liquid forms mean for storage and transport, and how to choose a starting set.
Where the demand comes from
- Paediatricians prescribe the widest part of the range.
- General practitioners and family doctors prescribe many children’s products, especially in smaller towns.
- Children’s hospitals and nursing homes buy in larger quantities.
- Chemists near children’s clinics are the main outlets.
Demand often rises with the seasons, so watch how orders change through the year.
Children’s clinics also tend to be busy, with short consultations, so a paediatrician who knows your products and trusts your supply is valuable. Plan regular visits and keep chemists near those clinics well stocked.
The product families partners stock
In Ancare’s pediatric range, for example, the products include:
- antibiotic dry syrups and oral suspensions, such as cefpodoxime, cefixime (alone and in combination), amoxicillin with clavulanate, and azithromycin;
- cough and cold syrups and drops, including combinations with dextromethorphan, phenylephrine, chlorpheniramine, guaiphenesin, ambroxol and levosalbutamol;
- paracetamol suspensions;
- montelukast and levocetirizine liquids;
- vitamin D3 oral liquids and drops.
Dosage forms and packs
All 28 products in Ancare’s pediatric range at the time of writing are liquids: 20 oral suspensions, 5 syrups and 3 oral drops, in packs from 5 ml to 100 ml. That affects how you work:
- Dry syrups are powders that the chemist or parent mixes with water; they have a long shelf life before mixing.
- Bottles are heavier and more fragile than strips, so check deliveries for leaks and breakage on arrival.
- Storage space matters: a pediatric range takes far more shelf space than the same number of tablet products.
- Pack sizes: stock the sizes your prescribers write; a missing pack size loses the prescription.
Planning a starting set
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Do you visit paediatricians, or mainly family doctors? | Paediatricians use a wider range and more pack sizes |
| Which antibiotic suspensions are prescribed in your area? | These are usually the volume products |
| Is demand seasonal in your area? | Plan cough and cold stock ahead of the season, without overstocking |
| Do you have space for bottles? | Liquids take more room than strips |
| How quickly will each product sell? | Order quantities you can sell before expiry |
A common starting set is two or three antibiotic suspensions, a paracetamol suspension, two cough and cold products and a vitamin D3 drop, in the pack sizes your prescribers write.
Building the range over the first year
Months 1–3: the volume suspensions. Start with the antibiotic suspensions and paracetamol suspension your prescribers write most, in the pack sizes they use. These products usually make up most of a pediatric range’s orders.
Months 4–6: seasonal and supportive products. Add cough and cold syrups ahead of the season they sell in, and vitamin D3 drops if your paediatricians prescribe them. Watch which products your chemists reorder first.
Months 7–12: complete the pack sizes. Fill in the pack sizes and strengths that doctors asked for, and add montelukast and levocetirizine liquids if they are written in your area.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Overstocking for the season. Seasonal products sell fast for a few weeks and then slow down. Build stock gradually and watch reorders.
- Missing pack sizes. Paediatric prescriptions often specify a pack size; stock the sizes your doctors write.
- Ignoring breakage. Bottles break in transit more often than strips. Pack and check carefully, and report damage immediately.
- Underestimating storage space. A pediatric range needs far more shelf space than tablets. Plan it before you order.
How to tell whether the range is working
A pediatric range has strong seasonal swings, so compare each month with the same season rather than with the month before. Useful signs are:
- steady orders for the antibiotic and paracetamol suspensions through the year;
- seasonal products clearing before the season ends, with little left over;
- chemists near children’s clinics reordering without a visit;
- paediatricians asking for pack sizes or products you do not stock, which tells you what to add.
After a full year you will have your own seasonal pattern to plan from, which is more reliable than any general rule.
Questions to ask the company about this range
- Which antibiotic suspensions and dry syrups are in the range, and in which strengths and pack sizes?
- Which cough and cold products are available, and how early can you order them before the season?
- How are bottles packed for transport, and how is breakage on arrival handled?
- Which vitamin and allergy products are available as liquids or drops?
- What promotional material is available for paediatricians?
Pack sizes deserve particular attention, because paediatric prescriptions often name a specific size.
Working the range with your other ranges
Paediatricians and family doctors also write respiratory and allergy products and children’s nutraceuticals. A partner who carries pediatric, respiratory and a few vitamin syrups and drops can cover most of what a children’s clinic prescribes, which makes each visit more worthwhile.
Promotion
Present the composition, strength per dose and pack size accurately, leave clinical choices to the prescriber, and follow the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices. Doctors who treat children value products that are consistently available, so reliable supply builds loyalty.
Ancare’s pediatric range
Ancare Life Sciences, Panchkula, markets 28 products in its pediatric range, with full compositions and pack sizes. Look up any salt in our products by composition index.
See what a PCD pharma franchise costs to plan your first order, or contact us for the price list for your area.