https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/conditions-and-treatments/medicines-information/making-most-your-child-s-medicines/

Making the most of your child’s medicines

This information sheet from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) explains how you can safely give your child medicines. If you have any questions, please ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

  • Storage – store all medicines safely, out of sight and reach of children. Keep all medicines away from sunlight and direct heat sources. Only store them in the fridge if the label says so.
  • Read the directions on the label – When you collect medicines from the pharmacy or other healthcare professional, read the directions on the label and ask them to be explained if they are different to what you were expecting.
  • Check the strength of the medicine carefully – Tablets and capsules are usually described by the amount of active ingredient contained in each tablet or capsule. Liquid strengths show how much of the active ingredient is in a certain volume of liquid. When you receive a new supply of medicine, always check that the strength is the same as you have had previously.
  • Confirm the dose and frequency – Make sure you understand exactly how and when to give the medicines before you leave the pharmacy or ward.
  • Allergies – If your child has any allergies, tell us when you hand in the prescription. 
  • Complete the course – Do not stop giving the medicine if your child is feeling better, unless you have been advised by the health professional. If the course of medicine is not completed, your child may not recover completely even if they feel well.
  • Giving medicines – If possible, make sure your child is standing or sitting upright. Give tablets or capsules with a glass of water. You can watch videos or read leaflets about the different types of medicines and how to give them on both the GOSH and Medicines for Children websites 
  • Buying medicines – Tell the pharmacist which medicines your child is taking before you buy any medicines over-the-counter from a pharmacy (chemist) - this includes any herbal or complementary medicines. Make sure your doctor and pharmacist at GOSH are aware of all medicines and/or remedies your child is taking too.
  • Never share medicines – Even if your symptoms are the same, it can be dangerous to share medicines.
  • Out of date or leftover medicines – Take them to the pharmacist for safe disposal. Do not throw them away or flush them down the toilet.
  • Patient information leaflets (PIL) – Most medicines come with a patient information leaflet. The patient information leaflet gives information about what the medicine is for and how to take it. It will also list all the reported side effects – this does not mean that your child will get any of these side effects. A few products do not have a marketing authorisation (licence) as a medicine and therefore there is no PIL. Sometimes medicines are used for conditions not listed in the patient information leaflet and/or at different doses. You should follow the instructions on the pharmacy label, as these are the instructions from the doctor’s prescription.
  • Unlicensed medicines or those used outside their licence – Some medicines used to treat children’s illnesses are said to be ‘unlicensed’. This means that the medicine being used is not covered by the licence. Manufacturers may not have included children in the clinical trials used to test the medicine so cannot include them in the licence application. In other circumstances, medicines may not have a license at all, often because they are used to treat very rare conditions. However, you can be assured that your doctor has only prescribed an ‘unlicensed’ medicine because he or she thinks that the medicine will benefit your child and no licensed alternative is available. If you would like more information about unlicensed medicines for children, visit the Medicines for Children website.
  • Use in children – The patient information leaflet may state ‘not to be used for children’ although its use may be well established. Find information on specific medicines for children in our medical information pages. You can also view the Medicines for Children's guidance.
  • Use in pregnancy – If your child is pregnant or may be, and the patient information leaflet says ‘not to be used in pregnancy’, please speak to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist as soon as possible. If your daughter is aged 12 years or older, if certain medicines are prescribed, we will ask her about her periods and whether she could be pregnant. 
Compiled by:
The Pharmacy Department in collaboration with the Child and Family Information Group
Last review date:
December 2024
Ref:
2016F1928

Disclaimer

Please read this information sheet from GOSH alongside the patient information leaflet (PIL) provided by the manufacturer. If you do not have a copy of the manufacturer’s patient information leaflet please talk to your pharmacist. A few products do not have a marketing authorisation (licence) as a medicine and therefore there is no PIL.

For children in particular, there may be conflicts of information between the manufacturer’s patient information leaflet (PIL) and guidance provided by GOSH and other healthcare providers. For example, some manufacturers may recommend, in the patient information leaflet, that a medicine is not given to children aged under 12 years. In most cases, this is because the manufacturer will recruit adults to clinical trials in the first instance and therefore the initial marketing authorisation (licence) only covers adults and older children.  

For new medicines, the manufacturer then has to recruit children and newborns into trials (unless the medicine is not going to be used in children and newborns) and subsequently amend the PIL with the approved information. Older medicines may have been used effectively for many years in children without problems but the manufacturer has not been required to collect data and amend the licence. This does not mean that it is unsafe for children and young people to be prescribed such a medicine ‘off-licence/off-label’. However, if you are concerned about any conflicts of information, please discuss with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.