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Decrease in therapeutic errors involving prescription cough and cold medications in young children.
Suzanne Doyon1, Yolande Tra, Wendy Klein-Schwartz
1University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Maryland Poison Center, Baltimore, Maryland.
Summary
Following the 2007 withdrawal of over-the-counter cough and cold medications (CCM), poison center calls for therapeutic errors involving prescription CCM in young children did not increase. Instead, a significant decrease in these medication errors was observed.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pharmacology
- Medication Safety
- Public Health
Background:
- Over-the-counter cough and cold medications (CCM) were voluntarily withdrawn in October 2007.
- Concerns existed regarding potential increases in therapeutic errors with prescription CCM following this withdrawal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if therapeutic errors involving prescription CCM increased in children under 2 years after the 2007 over-the-counter CCM withdrawal.
- To analyze trends in poison center calls related to prescription CCM errors.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of therapeutic errors involving prescription CCM in children under 2 years.
- Data collected for 33 months prior and 27 months after the October 2007 withdrawal.
- Calculated annual counts and rates per person-month for errors.
Main Results:
- Total annual therapeutic errors involving prescription CCM decreased from 452 to 337 in children under 2.
- Error rates declined by 25.6%, from 0.43 to 0.32 cases/100,000 person-month (p<0.0001).
- No increase in poison center calls for these errors was observed post-withdrawal.
Conclusions:
- The withdrawal of over-the-counter CCM was not associated with an increase in harm from prescription CCM therapeutic errors in young children.
- A significant decrease in therapeutic errors involving prescription CCM was documented after the withdrawal.
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