Paediatrics

Test your knowledge of paediatric health

An opportunity to test your knowledge on various aspects of paediatric health, from medicines and vaccinations to respiratory and dermatological conditions.…

Families need support to reduce the risk of adverse drug reactions from breastfeeding

There is currently a blind spot in the evidence on whether maternal medicines cause adverse drug reactions, a topic on which pharmacists can advise.…

No difference between length of antibiotic course for treatment of pneumonia in children, meta-analysis finds 

Researchers concluded that shorter courses of antibiotics were not inferior to longer courses in the treatment of non-severe community-acquired pneumonia in children.…

MHRA approves first vaccine in ten years to protect children against pneumococcal diseases

The drugs regulator has approved an extension for Vaxneuvance (PCV15) to cover children as well as adults.…

Better pharmacist access needed to stop paediatric drug errors, concludes report

An investigation has found that a lack of ward-based pharmacists on weekends is impacting children's care.…

Chloramphenicol eye drops containing boron can be given to children aged under two years, says MHRA

Product information for chloramphenicol eye drops containing borax or boric acid buffers will be updated to remove restrictions and warnings, but product packaging already on sale will not be recalled.…

Medicines safety in children

Children in hospital are estimated to be exposed to potential harm related to their medicines three times more often than adults. Here, we look at the types of medicines-related safety incidents that are reported in children and where and when they happen.…

Prescribing errors in children: why they happen and how to prevent them

Highlighting the potential causes of error when prescribing for children and outlining how pharmacists can support safer prescribing.…

Families are struggling to use medicines at home — we must truly involve them in their own safety

Surprisingly few medicine errors in children in the home setting are reported, yet evidence suggests that parents sometimes struggle here. We can tackle this hidden medicines safety issue by putting families’ insight at the heart of our interventions.…

Paracetamol use in infants and young children

Paracetamol is one of the most used medicines in children; however, reports of adverse effects associated with unintentional overdosing highlight the importance of providing parents and carers with advice on its safe use.…