“So how is a parent to know exactly how to dose that medication?” said Dr. Darren DeWalt from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Nearly all of the 148 products tested by researchers at New York University School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital Center had some kind of inconsistency between the dosing directions and measuring device. About a quarter didn’t come with any measuring spoon or cup at all.
DeWalt wrote an editorial on the new study. He saud the issue can lead to dangerous overdoses or more commonly –
“A lot of parents are giving too low of a dose and they may not be adequately treating their child’s pain or fever,” said DeWalt.
Experts said parents can ask a pharmacist for standardized measuring syringes or cups. DeWalt said parents should avoid using kitchen teaspoons to give medicine because they are often inaccurate.
“As long as we put teaspoons on the label, people are gonna continue to go into the drawer and pull those spoons out,” said DeWalt.
Researchers looked at products that were on the market as of 2009 — the same time the Food And Drug Administration issued guidance to pharmaceutical companies urging standardized language and measurements on children’s medicine.
“When the measuring device comes with the medicine, it should be consistent with what’s on the label. It’s quite simple stuff,” said DeWalt.
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association said that since the FDA guidance was issued last year, many drug makers have taken steps to include correct dosing devices with their products and standardize dosing instructions. The association said it is working to bring all over-the-counter medicines under the same guidelines by the end of 2011.
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