Safe medicine tips to share with parents and families

A new series of three videos, produced by NPS MedicineWise and the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, have been released to give practical tips for parents and carers needing to give medicine to children. 

The videos have been produced after concerns that children are being poisoned, or not receiving enough dosages of required medication to be effective, NPS MedicineWise spokesperson and pharmacist Sarah Spagnardi said. 

“The team here at NPS MedicineWise had been noticing a lot of social media posts from parents asking questions about how to safely give medicine to children, especially if they squirm and refuse to take it,” said Ms Spagnardi.

The responses to these calls for advice are “questionable,” she said, and the one minute video series aims to combat some of the most commonly asked questions with sound medical advice. 

“Among questions such as how much of the medicine to give, how to encourage the child to take the medicine, and where to safely store it,” Ms Spagnardi said.  

“We also have also heard questions like ‘Can I mix this medicine with juice or yogurt’ and ‘Can I bake it into a cupcake?’.

“Busy parents and carers need good, evidence-based advice – and they need it fast, so these three quick videos feature practical tips from a nurse, a child life therapist and a pharmacist to help parents and carers keep their children safe and healthy,” she said.

Some of the key tips from the videos are:

• Read the label and know the active ingredient

• Dose your child according to age and weight – know your child’s current body weight, and always ask a health professional if you’re unsure of the correct dose

• When using a syringe to give medicine, put it in the side of the mouth towards the back teeth, and use small squirts

• Don’t mix medicines with other substances like milk or juice

• Keep track of the medicines you’re using in a diary, log or Medicines List.

To watch the videos go to NPS MedicineWise on YouTube