|  This book is an updated edition of ‘Medicines for children’,
which was first published in 1999. It is jointly produced by the Royal
College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Neonatal and Paediatric
Pharmacists Group. The expertise and experience of these two groups makes
this an authoritative reference guide to all professionals who prescribe,
dispense or administer medicines to children. New monographs have been
introduced and all clinical guidelines have been reviewed and updated.
As a community pharmacist with experience only in the retail sector I
assumed this was going to be a guide for hospital pharmacists and of
little value to me. However I was proved wrong all the way through.
The introduction provides general information about care in prescribing
and administering medicines to children, calculations of body surface
area for infants and children, and general information about prescribing
and administering unlicensed medicines or licensed medicines for unlicensed
applications. There is also a useful guide to administration of medicines,
with valuable tips that pharmacists can pass on to parents.
In the next section there are guidelines to a number of clinical indications,
for example, blood disorders, dental problems, ear, nose and throat problems,
eye problems, infections, pain management, metabolic and nutritional
disorders, poisoning and antidotes, respiratory and skin problems, and
vaccinations.
The main section of the book contains individual drug monographs in alphabetical
order. Each monograph includes information on: indications and uses;
presentations available; dosage, with a clear table indicating dose per
age group, dose per weight, frequency of dose and relevant notes; administration,
with useful tips; contraindications and warnings; interactions; pregnancy
and breast-feeding; side effects; poisoning and toxicity; pharmacokinetic
properties; excipients; and licensed status.
There is a separate section for eye preparations, which follows the same
format as the main monographs but with additional information regarding
availability, supply, storage, maximum length of treatment and obtainability
from Moorfields Eye Hospital.
The final section is a list of nutritional supplements with detailed
information about each one, eg, manufacturer, kcal/100ml, protein, fat,
fibre and carbohydrate content, suitability for vegetarians and vegans,
whether lactose- or gluten-free, presentation, cautions, suggested dosage
and flavours. This section also has an extended list of all infant specialised
formula products, with valuable information to any pharmacist who serves
a community of new mothers and babies.
‘Medicines for children’ is an authoritative reference guide for
any pharmacist who deals with young children. It is an easy and interesting
guide to follow with invaluable general information. Admittedly some
of the individual drug monographs would be useful in hospital situations;
only nevertheless they would generate confidence in reassuring parents
who find themselves with a young child in hospital and need a familiar
professional to comfort them.
Maria Papadopoulos
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The
Pharmaceutical Journal