The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7235 p179
8 February 2003

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Medicines Control Agency (www.mca.gov.uk)

Aspirin reminder

Pharmacy superintendents have been asked to ensure that staff use point-of-sale materials supplied by manufacturers that publicise the information that aspirin should not be given to children under 16 years. In a letter from the Medicines Control Agency to 14 large pharmacy chains, pharmacy superintendents were also requested to ensure that all staff are adequately briefed on this issue.

Some retailers have already taken action. A spokesman for Boots The Chemists said that all stores had received notice from the pharmacy superintendent explaining the new MCA guidance and point-of-sale material is displayed alongside GSL stocks of aspirin. The company told The Journal that in the next few months it will install a till prompt to highlight to staff that aspirin should not be sold to children under 16, and is looking into technology to include information on its till receipts.