Correct use of medicines in children

According to a study published in the prestigious journal Hospital Pharmacy, 79% of drug incidents could be prevented. These are more frequent in preschool kids (between one and five years) and are mainly caused by antibiotics. In all the studies, accidentals continue to be a recurrent problem in the safety of the use of medicines in children under five years of age.

Pediatric emergency services are strategic places for the detection of drug incidents, since they allow collecting incidents of prescription drugs in both primary care and specialized care.

These data indicate the need to implement preventive strategies to avoid such accidents in children. These prevention lines should be aimed at the prescribing doctors, reinforcing the need to adapt the prescription to the characteristics of the children and adhere to them, and on the other, to parents or caregivers, providing adequate information and promoting education campaigns that highlight the risks of the prescription and influence the correct storage of medicines in homes.

More delicate prescription

The prescription of drugs in children is especially delicate since they are patients with a high vulnerability, especially very young children, who present immaturity of kidney, liver and immune functions.

Furthermore, the lack of clinical trials in children and the limited information on dosage, safety, efficacy and clinical use of many drugs in pediatric patients further complicates decision-making and the definition of safe doses.

The most frequent mistakes

Medication errors in children are more frequent than in adults, and the risk of these errors causing adverse events is up to three times higher. Children under 4-5 years of age and in particular neonates present a higher percentage of errors.

Although errors occur in any healthcare setting, the incidence seems to be higher in neonatal units, pediatric intensive care and emergencies. Stress and fatigue or poor communication with families by professionals does not play in their favor.

These errors occur more frequently in prescription and administration, with a large percentage of dosing errors.

To prevent errors, it is essential on the part of the prescribing physician in both primary and hospital care:

• Indicate weight on prescription: drugs in pediatrics are adjusted by the weight of the child, so this parameter is crucial in a correct prescription.
• Write the dose correctly according to the pharmaceutical formulation to be used.
• Do a double check of the calculations of high-risk drugs (especially in hospital care and drugs such as cytostatics for the treatment of cancer).
• Report correctly and ensure that parents or caregivers have understood the prescription.

The World Health Organization (WHO), aware of this great problem, has launched the initiative “which aims to reduce avoidable adverse drug events by 50% in five years.

Tips for Parents and Caregivers on the Correct Use of Medicines in Children

• Have a record of which drugs the child is allergic to.
• Keep an up-to-date list with the medicines the child takes, including vitamins and nutritional products. It is interesting to note:
• The name of the drugs
• The dose
• When and how you should take them and for how long.
• Carry the above information whenever you go to the pediatrician or an emergency service to provide it to the health professionals who care for the child.
• When receiving the prescription from the pediatrician, caregivers should ensure that who understand the information, asking all the doubts that may arise. It is important not to be left with doubts before leaving the consultation or the hospital.
• If the recipe is for a syrup, it must be clear with what device and how to dose it, so that the dose administered is correct.
• The syringe or dropper included in the package should always be used for each medicine and the dispensers of another medicine should not be used. This is important to avoid dosing errors.
• The use of homemade spoons to administer medications is not recommended, since the volume they measure varies greatly from one spoon to another.
• When buying the drug, it must be verified that the product supplied is the one that the doctor has prescribed.
• The systems to remember when you have to: calendar, mobile alarm or specific apps are very interesting.
• Medicines should be kept out of the reach of children.
• If you have any questions, you can access the 24-hour Medical Guidance service that is made available to you for free.

CALCULATE YOUR PRICE

• Accidental poisonings continue to be a recurrent problem in the safety of drug use in children under five years of age.
• The World Health Organization, aware of this great problem, has launched the initiative “Medication without harm” that aims to reduce avoidable adverse events due to medications by 50% in five years.
• When receiving the prescription from the pediatrician, parents / caregivers should make sure that they understand the information, asking any questions that may arise.
• MAPFRE Salud insurances have a Medical Guidance service 24 hours a day