Choosing an oral liquid medicine for children

I am very pleased to announce the publication of this latest position statement produced by the Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacist Group (NPPG) and endorsed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) regarding how to choose an oral liquid for a child

We hope that this position statement helps provide support on the key considerations when choosing an oral liquid preparation in a child. Children do need to be considered differently to adults when choosing a formulation of medication and we are aware that in practice, assessment of excipient content can prove challenging. This position statement aims to provide practical advice on assessing excipient content, as well as thinking about when to use an unlicensed formulation and encouraging safer practice by standardising choice of liquid concentrations.

I do hope that all organisations find the information contained in this position statement useful.

Nigel Gooding
Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacist Group Chair Dec 2nd 2020