Parental management of over-the-counter medicines

Parental decision making on the use of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in managing their child's illness was examined in this study. Twenty five parents were interviewed following completion of their purchase in community pharmacies. The most common purchase was Calpol. Parents were generally unaware of potential side effects of the medicines they purchased, although they said they used product information leaflets as a source of information. Advice-seeking decisions were influenced by the severity of symptoms and the experience of the parent. Sixteen parents thought the medicines were costly and although children are entitled to medicines free on GP prescription, the parents in this study had chosen to purchase a medicine for reasons such as convenience accessibility, choice and confusion as to their entitlements. Factors such as socio-economic status, number and age of children, parental age and working families contribute to the complexities of how often and which types of over-the-counter medicines are bought for children. The possibility of OTC medicine use must be remembered and explored by healthcare professionals when children present for treatment.