Medicines information for children and young people — a step forward in the UK

摘要

WHILE general access to medicines information for patients increases, the challenge of tailoring medicines information to different audiences persists. One patient group that has arguably never been a focus for medicines information is children and young people. It has been acceptable to assume that the parent should be the principal target, and that they will convey all relevant information to their children. Adherence to medicines by children and young people, however, is known to be worse than that of adults, despite the oversight of parents.1 Children and young people often feel excluded from discussions about medicines, especially regarding side effects.2 The internet has the potential to increase access to medicines for these groups, but there is also a strong argument that the patient information leaflet (PIL) — accessible with the product at each point of dispensing — should also be developed as a resource for children and young people.