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Public awareness and views on unlicensed use of medicines in children

T L Mukattash1, J S Millership, P S Collier

  • 1Clinical and Practice Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.

British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
|November 27, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Public awareness of unlicensed medicines in children is low. Most people are reluctant to enroll children in clinical trials, especially for non-life-threatening conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric pharmacology
  • Public health research
  • Clinical trial ethics

Background:

  • Unlicensed medicine use in children is common but poorly understood by the public.
  • Public perception significantly influences participation in pediatric clinical trials.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess public awareness and views on the unlicensed use of medicines in children.
  • To gauge public opinion regarding the participation of children in clinical trials.

Main Methods:

  • A questionnaire survey was conducted with 1000 members of the general public in N. Ireland.
  • Face-to-face interviews were administered in public areas to collect data.

Main Results:

  • 86% of participants lacked prior knowledge of unlicensed medicine use in children.
  • 92% believed parents should be informed about unlicensed medicine use.
  • Willingness to enroll children in clinical trials varied significantly based on the child's health status (3.9% for healthy children vs. 41.9% for life-threatening conditions).

Conclusions:

  • There is a significant gap in public knowledge regarding the use of unlicensed medicines in pediatric populations.
  • Public willingness to involve children in clinical trials is conditional, particularly for severe health conditions.
Abstract

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