US Pharm. 2010;35(12):8.
Atlanta, GA--Results from a CDC report published in the journal Pediatrics show that 14 months after cold and cold medication manufacturers agreed to stop marketing their products for use in children under 2 years of age, emergency room (ER) visits due to overdoses dropped by over half, from 2,800 to 1,250. This shows that the regulations are having the desired impact. Despite this drop, however, two-thirds of pediatric ER visits are still linked to these OTC medications, which contain decongestants and antihistamines. “Further reductions likely will require packaging improvements to reduce harm from unsupervised ingestions and continued education about avoiding cold and cough medicine use for young children,” the CDC stated.To comment on this article, contact rdavidson@uspharmacist.com.
