The NPPG Executive Committee are pleased to publish Version 2 of our position statement Labelling of Dispensed Oral Medicines for Children, which supersedes Version 1 published in June 2025. The publication of Version 1 has generated considerable discussion on this important topic, and NPPG are grateful for feedback received from stakeholders across primary and secondary care.

The updates can be summarised as follows:

• The recommendation to express the dose for oral liquid medicines in terms of millilitres (mL) only is unchanged. However, a note has been added to state that the dose can be expressed in terms of “spoonfuls”, provided that the volume of the spoonful is also specified on the label e.g. “….5mL spoonful”.
• A statement has been added to confirm that expressing the dose to be given as a number of drops is acceptable where the product is designed to be used in this way.
• In light of implementation challenges, the specific recommendations on labelling oral solid dosage forms (tablets/capsules) have been withdrawn. Standardisation of solid dosage forms remains a patient-safety priority given the variation observed across hospital and community practice^1,2. While the available evidence indicates a user preference for numerical formats, revised guidance will be developed through a collective, consultative process involving all relevant stakeholders.

NPPG’s recommendations on labelling oral liquid medicines are now included in RPS Medicines Ethics and Practice.

References

• Latheef F, Rashed A, Wignell A, et al – SP3 An exploratory study to characterise dosing instructions on dispensed paediatric medicines labels: BMJ Paediatrics Open 2024;8. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2024-NPPG.3 .
• Rashed AN, Ang I, Wignell A, et al. Dosage instructions on community-dispensed paediatric medicine labels: a cross-sectional study. Drugs Ther Perspect (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-025-01163-3

Keywords: Children,Labelling, Medicines, Oral Medicines, Liquid medicines, Dosing instructions