Syrup of ipecac: a drug review

All members of the health care team should strongly emphasize the importance of keeping syrup of ipecac in the home. All health professionals should also be able to fully convey a respect for the drug to the public in that syrup of ipecac is not free of its own toxicities nor universally used in every accidental ingestion. The drug must be recognized as an effective mode of treatment by the public for specific situations. Its dosing and method of administration must be strictly governed by appropriate health professionals. All poison information specialists must be especially attuned to these suggestions because the use of this drug is most often the result of their recommendation.