US Pharm. 2014;39(11):HS2.
Columbus, OH—Annually, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital researchers, 63,000 children younger than 6 years experienced out-of-hospital medication errors between 2002 and 2012, translating to one child every 8 minutes. These unintentional errors, most often occurring in the child’s home, another residence, or school, usually are committed by well-meaning parents or caregivers. Painkillers and fever reducers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen are the agents most commonly involved. Mistakes include giving the same medication twice, misreading dosing instructions, and administering the wrong medication. Children younger than 1 year account for 25% of incidents. The reported numbers underestimate the true magnitude because they reflect only those cases communicated to national poison centers.
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