New information service launched to help parents give medicines to their children with confidence
A new website and expanding information service for parents called Medicines for Children http://www.medicinesforchildren.org.uk/ is launched to help any parent who has ever been anxious when faced with giving medicine to their child at home. Medicines for Children currently provides online or printed leaflets giving free, practical and reliable information on over 100 key medicines and answering the questions which commonly concern parents, such as how and when to give medicine to their children, what is the right dose and what the possible side effects might be.
The information is written and reviewed by children’s doctors, pharmacists and parents and carers with real experience of the concerns and issues parents face when giving a child medicine at home. Information on more medicines is in production and suggestions from parents and professionals on topics not yet covered are welcome.
Although every medicine comes with a patient information leaflet written by the company which makes the drug, they commonly fail to address the specific concerns parents have about the medicine and their child. These leaflets often only cover giving the medicine to an adult and may include complicated information.
Medicines for Children was developed by a partnership of experts from the national children’s charity, WellChild, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), and the Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group (NPPG) who came together to address evidence about how worried parents can become over the dangerous consequences of making a mistake when giving a child medication at home.
Dr William van’s Hoff, Consultant Paediatrician at Great Ormond Street Hospital, who is on the panel driving this initiative, commented:
“The Medicines for Children website and leaflets aim to support any parent whose child requires medication, from a one-off treatment to others whose child requires long-term and complicated treatment, often with several different medications being given every day. We want to help parents feel confident about giving their children medicines, having been reassured by easily accessible, practical and informative advice written specifically for them. The leaflets are certified by The Information Standard which was developed by the Department of Health and are referenced in the British National Formulary for Children. 1.”
At medicinesforchildren.org.uk parents and carers can search online by the name of the medicine, brand name of a drug or the disease, condition or infection being treated. Leaflets are available in print or can be read and downloaded online Areas parents found most helpful include how to give medicines and what to do in case a dose is forgotten or given twice. This easy-to-read information is supported with a news section containing topical information and a range of videos showing how to give medication.
Linda Partridge, Director of Programmes at WellChild heads up the panel of parents and carers who advise the team and is seeking others to join. She added:
“Parents and carers are at the heart of Medicines for Children. We need parents and carers to join our panel at WellChild to help make sure our information is helpful and easy to understand. You don’t need any experience and we welcome people from all backgrounds. Even though it won’t take up much of your time, your help will be very important.”
One of these parents, Debbie Linster-Ali from Rugby, is mother of Noah who tragically died aged three in 2009. Noah had a rare chromosomal condition called Edward’s Syndrome as well as a major heart condition. Although Noah required complex medical care throughout his life, his family were determined to give him the best quality of life possible by having him at home where he flourished with his toys, his siblings and his family. Commenting on the information available on Medicines for Children, Debbie said:
“The leaflets are absolutely great. It can be stressful enough for parents when their child is ill, without the added anxiety of ploughing through complicated information and worrying about the risks of not giving a medicine correctly. For us the information about unlicensed drugs would have been really helpful as Noah had to have medicine which was at the time unlicensed.”
Another key member of the team, Stephen Tomlin, Consultant Pharmacist and Professional Secretary of the NPPG, said:
“Medicines for Children will continue to grow and adapt to the needs of parents. At present our team are working to provide evidence-based and accurate information for further medicines. On our website parents can read all about the rigorous processes we have developed to ensure that each leaflet is accurate, up-to-date and addresses the right concerns.
We hope that the leaflets stand alone as a quality information source, but also act as a catalyst for enhanced professional and carer engagement on the important topic of medicines use in children”
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