Medication Safety: Young Children and Adverse Drug Events

When someone has been harmed by a medication, who have had an adverse effect. To reduce the risk of harm from adverse drug events in young children, parents should:

• Always replace the cap and store the medicines out of reach of children
• Carefully give medicines as directed on the label or as directed by a doctor or pharmacist
• The use of prescription and OTC only when necessary.

Some medicines may not be effective in improving children´s health:

1. Antibiotics can kill bacteria but not viruses. Most colds, coughs, throat, flu, sore throat and nasal congestion are caused by viruses. Taking antibiotics for viral infections not cure viral infections, prevent others from catching the disease, or help your child feel better. Although antibiotics are good drugs for certain types of infections, which are also the type of drugs that cause the majority of emergency visits for adverse drug events. An estimated 40,000 children are taken to emergency rooms each year due to adverse events of antibiotics.

2. Cough and cold medicines do not cure the common cold. Although cough and cold medicines can be used to treat common cold symptoms in older children should not be used in children under 4 years of age. Coughing too much and cold medicines can cause serious injury or even death in children.