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Impact of a Pediatric Instructive Kit for Adherence optimization to MEDication on liquid oral antibiotic dispensing

Elena Rentea1, Lucile Brendlé2, Camille Gaillard2

  • 1Department of Pharmacy, Nîmes University Hospital, Univ Montpellier, Place du Pr. Robert Debré, 30029 Nîmes Cedex 9, France.

The International Journal of Pharmacy Practice
|June 26, 2026
PubMed

Insights

The Pediatric Instructive Kit for Adherence optimization to MEDication (PIKAMED) significantly improved parents' accuracy in administering pediatric liquid oral antibiotics. This tool demonstrated a 93% success rate, drastically reducing medication errors in simulated scenarios.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric pharmacology
  • Medication safety
  • Patient education

Background:

  • Parental administration errors account for 84.4% of pediatric outpatient medication mistakes.
  • A personalized educational approach is crucial for improving medication adherence and safety in children.
  • The Pediatric Instructive Kit for Adherence optimization to MEDication (PIKAMED) was developed to provide clear instructions for liquid oral antibiotic administration.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of the PIKAMED tool in enhancing parental compliance with simulated liquid oral antibiotic prescriptions.
  • To identify and address any misunderstandings related to the PIKAMED tool through parent feedback.
  • To optimize the PIKAMED tool based on user experience for improved pediatric medication management.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective, single-center comparative study involved parents of hospitalized children aged 28 days to 6 years.
  • Participants were randomized into a control group (usual practice) and an experimental group using PIKAMED.
  • Simulations of reconstituting, administering, and storing liquid oral antibiotics were assessed using an audit grid for adherence.

Main Results:

  • Parents using PIKAMED achieved a median overall success rate of 93%, significantly higher than the 54% in the control group (P < .001).
  • PIKAMED use was strongly associated with improved accuracy in reconstituting and administering medications (OR = 42, P = .007).
  • The tool demonstrated a substantial positive impact on correct medication dosing and administration by parents.

Conclusions:

  • The PIKAMED tool shows significant potential to enhance the accuracy of pediatric medication dosing.
  • Implementation of PIKAMED can effectively reduce medication administration errors made by parents.
  • This educational intervention offers a promising strategy for improving medication safety in pediatric care.
Abstract

Keywords:
anti-bacterial agentschildinfantmedication errorspatient educationpediatricsself-administration

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