Christus Health: The Children's Hospital of San Antonio

Spring 2017

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The Do's and Don'ts of Dosing Help the medicine go down with these tips. Getting children to take their medicine is a time-honored struggle for many parents. Just as important as getting your child to take his or her medicine, however, is making sure you administer it correctly. A 2016 study published in the journal Pediatrics found that, while giving liquid medication to children, four out of five parents made at least one dosing error when using dosing cups to administer medication. More than one fifth of those parents who made an error not only mis-dosed, but gave their children twice the recommended amount. "Dosing errors are a huge problem when it comes to liquid medication," says Cynthia A. Koger, RPh, director of pharmacy at The Children's Hospital of San Antonio. "Too little medication and a child could potentially never get better, while too much can lead to major, life-threatening health complications. It's something all parents should be taking seriously." While dosing errors can be caused by many different variables, the error largely comes down to improper measuring tools, confusion and indifference. Eliminating Errors Fortunately, there are ways you can keep doses accurate and safe for your child. Cynthia provides the following tips for avoiding dosing errors: • Proper tools — A tablespoon unit of measure isn't necessarily the same as one spoonful from your silverware drawer. Use the measuring cup that comes with the medicine, or ask your pharmacist for the best tool for the job. • Modern measurements — Once upon a time, medicine could be measured in milliliters, fluid ounces and fluid drams. A few dosing cups would even contain all three options. While mLs is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration standard today, make sure the units on your measurement device match the units on the bottle's directions. • Remember weight — While a bottle may claim that children between the ages of 2 and 12 have the same requirement, the reality is that children within that age range come in very different shapes and sizes. Their weight may be a greater factor than their age, so be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist if your child's weight may require more or less medication. • It's not candy — Refrain from telling your children that the medicine is just like candy. Equating the bottle with a treat could lead to your child ingesting a dangerous amount if he or she gets ahold of it. • Ask questions — When in doubt, allow your doctor, hospital pharmacist or local pharmacist to make suggestions and give you advice on how to be safe and accurate when handling liquid medications. "It's not as though parents don't know what they're doing or can't follow directions," Cynthia says. "We've just been taught for so long that getting 'close enough' is all that matters. Fortunately, by using the proper tools and following clear instructions, dosing problems can easily become a thing of the past." Got more medication questions? Find a primary care doctor or pharmacist by visiting chofsa.org/findadoc. 11 The Children's Hospital of San Antonio • chofsa.org

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