Children's prescription medicines: parents' perceptions on dosing intervals, dosing devices and prescription advice

Objective To gather information on devices used to administer liquid medicines, dosing intervals for antibiotic administration, and parents' perceptions of the advice received from pharmacists about prescription medicines, for children up to the age of six years. Setting Six schools from different socio‐economic areas were selected within the Auckland area of New Zealand. To facilitate distribution and collection of questionnaires, the headmaster or a teacher was known to the researchers. Method An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to year 1 and 2 students (aged five and six years) to take home for completion by a parent or primary caregiver. Respondents were asked to refer to their youngest child and/or to the last time they had given medicines or received a prescription for a child. Key findings A total of 299 completed questionnaires were received (48.2%); 60 questionnaires had not been distributed by school teachers in error, and the overall return rate was thus adjusted to 53.4%. The device used most frequently to administer medicines to younger children up to the age of three years was an oral medicine syringe, while nearly one‐third of children aged three to six years received medicine in a ‘teaspoon’. Almost half the respondents (48.8%) indicated they would be most likely to forget the midday dose of antibiotics, and dosing deviated from recommended intervals. Most respondents had received advice from a pharmacist on how to take the medicine, and had understood instructions and had the opportunity to ask questions. Conclusion This study highlights areas that pharmacists can include when advising parents and guardians about children's medicines, such as ideal dosing intervals of antibiotics and the use of accurate dosing devices.