How to Ensure Children's Medication Safety?

How to Ensure children's Medication Safety?

When administering medication to children, it is essential to consider the following points:

(1) Be cautious when buying medicine from pharmacies when your child is sick. It is advisable for parents to consult with a pharmacist before making a purchase. Opt for pediatric-specific medications, such as oral liquids or granules, based on the pharmacist's recommendations. These medicines are not only convenient for administration but are also easily accepted by children and are safer. However, it is important to note that not all salespersons in pharmacies are pharmacists, and most lack the qualifications. Their recommended medications may not be suitable for children and, in some cases, expensive medicines that are not appropriate for the symptoms might be recommended, resulting in unnecessary expenses and potential delays in recovery. We recommend seeking medical advice at nearby community health service stations or consulting a pharmacist at well-equipped pharmacies.

(2) Read the medication instructions carefully. Outpatient doctors often have a heavy workload and may not have sufficient time to explain in detail how to take medications, so parents should understand this. Before administering medications at home, read the instructions carefully and strictly follow the recommended usage methods and precautions provided in the package. When purchasing foreign medicines, consumers may have difficulty understanding the instructions and may be unable to determine the authenticity, which carries a higher safety risk when buying drugs from overseas sources.

(3) Administer medication on time. If a medication is to be taken once a day, it should be administered at the same time every day. If it is to be taken twice a day, generally, it should be taken at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Four times a day means at 8 a.m., 12 p.m., 4 p.m., and 8 p.m. "Before meals" indicates taking the medication half an hour before eating, and "before bedtime" means half an hour before going to sleep. "On an empty stomach" suggests taking the medication one hour before breakfast. "As needed" means taking the medication when symptoms occur, such as taking antipyretics when having a fever or analgesics when experiencing pain.

(4) Follow the prescribed dosage carefully; neither underdose nor overdose. The therapeutic effect of medication is closely related to the dosage. Insufficient dosage leads to poor efficacy, while excessive dosage may cause toxic reactions. When tablets need to be divided into halves or quarters, the appropriate method is to use both hands to split them or use a pill cutter. If the tablet needs to be divided into thirds or fifths, which is difficult to divide evenly, the appropriate method is to crush the tablet and divide the dosage or convert it into a liquid. Using adult medications for children carries safety risks, so it is recommended to purchase pediatric-specific medications to reduce the risk of inaccurate dosing.

(5) Be cautious about intravenous infusion. The principle of medication is: if the oral route is possible, do not use injections; if intramuscular injection is possible, do not use intravenous infusion. For some common illnesses, such as upper respiratory tract infections and acute bronchitis, good results can be achieved through oral medication. Most colds are caused by viruses, for which there are currently no specific antiviral drugs available. Using only intravenous antibiotics is ineffective. Even for mild infections caused by bacteria, intravenous infusion is not necessary, as the infection can be cured through oral or intramuscular administration of antibiotics. Intravenous infusion requires strict control of dosage, dilution concentration, and infusion rate. It carries a higher risk of adverse reactions, such as pyrogenic reactions due to inadequate aseptic operation. Therefore, it should be performed under the supervision of medical staff. Patients should not take the intravenous infusion drugs prescribed by doctors home for self-administration, as this may lead to unforeseen serious consequences.

(6) Avoid random mixing of medications. Some drug combinations may have a synergistic effect or additive effect, which can enhance efficacy. However, some drug combinations may produce antagonistic effects, which can affect efficacy. Drug interactions can also increase adverse effects, such as sedation, respiratory depression, and bleeding. Therefore, drug interactions should be taken seriously. The drugs most likely to interact with each other include painkillers, antibiotics, and other anti-infection drugs.

(7) Pay attention to the interaction between Chinese and Western medicine. When used together appropriately, Chinese and Western medicine can complement each other and achieve good therapeutic effects. However, in some cases, adverse reactions may occur when Chinese and Western medicine are used in combination. For example, the combination of Chinese medicine malt barley wine with certain antibiotics can reduce enzyme activity and result in lost efficacy. Some combinations of Chinese and Western medicine can increase toxicity or cause side effects. For example, the combination of Chinese medicine hawthorn and plum with sulfonamides can easily lead to urinary retention or hematuria. The combination of Chinese medicine liushen pills with Western medicine quinidine or quinine can lead to cardiac arrest.

(8) After taking antipyretic medication, avoid excessive sweating. In many regions of China, it is customary to use "sweating under blankets when having a fever" as a means to reduce fever. However, this is a significant misconception. When a child with a high fever takes antipyretics and excessively sweats under blankets, it does not help to dissipate heat. On the contrary, it may cause the body temperature to rise even further in a short period, leading to dehydration due to excessive sweating. After taking antipyretic medication, the child should not be excessively covered with blankets. Instead, clothes should be loosened to increase the surface area for heat dissipation and promote fever reduction through evaporation of sweat.