Frequency of and Factors Associated With Prescription Medication Sharing Within Families

Limited literature has investigated caregiver sharing of prescription medications with children. Our primary aim was to determine the frequency of and factors associated with prescription medication sharing within families. Our secondary aim was to determine the source and type of medications shared.

We conducted a survey of a convenience sample of caregivers of children 1 to 17 years in a pediatric emergency department. The survey was developed through literature review, iterative feedback, and pilot testing on caregivers. We used logistic regression to identify factors associated with any history of medication sharing with a child in the home (primary outcome).

We enrolled 550 primary caregivers; 68 of the 535 analyzed (12.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 10.0-15.8) reported prescription medication sharing with their child/children. Of those who shared, 50 (73.5%) shared asthma medications and 14 (20.6%) shared antibiotics. Of the caregivers who shared prescription medications, 70.6% shared a medication for one child with another child, whereas 33.8% of caregivers shared their own or another adult's medication with their child. A child in the home with asthma (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.35; CI, 1.82-6.17), a greater number of children in the household (aOR, 1.29; CI, 1.04-1.60), and a caregiver who previously shared medications with other family members and/or friends (aOR, 4.10; CI, 1.84-9.15) were factors independently associated with medication sharing.

Prescription medication sharing within families is common and most often involves asthma medications. We identified several factors associated with prescription medication sharing that could be used to target caregivers for preventative interventions.