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Home › Consumers › Children and Medicines › Ten Guiding Principles for Teaching Children and Adolescents About Medicines |
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Children and Medicines
Ten Guiding Principles for Teaching Children and Adolescents About Medicines
A Position Statement of the United States Pharmacopeia
These Principles are intended to encourage activities that will help children, through adolescence, become active participants in the process of using medicines* to the best of their abilities. Recognizing that children of the same age vary in development, experience, and capabilities, these Principles do not specify children's ages.
- Children, as users of medicines, have a right to appropriate information about their medicines that reflects the child's health status, capabilities, and culture.
- Children want to know. Health care providers and health educators should communicate directly with children about their medicines.
- Children's interest in medicines should be encouraged, and they should be taught how to ask questions of health care providers, parents, and other care givers about medicines and other therapies.
- Children learn by example. The actions of parents and other care givers should show children appropriate use of medicines.
- Children, their parents, and their health care providers should negotiate the gradual transfer of responsibility for medicine use in ways that respect parental responsibilities and the health status and capabilities of the child.
- Children's medicine education should take into account what children want to know about medicines, as well as what health professionals think children should know.
- Children should receive basic information about medicines and their proper use as a part of school health education.
- Children's medicine education should include information about the general use and misuse of medicines, as well as about the specific medicines the child is using.
- Children have a right to information that will enable them to avoid poisoning through the misuse of medicines.
- Children asked to participate in clinical trials (after parents' consent) have a right to receive appropriate information to promote their understanding before assent and participation.
* Medicines include all types: prescription medicines, non-prescription medicines, herbal remedies, and nutritional supplements such as vitamins and minerals.
Developed by the Division of Information Development, United States Pharmacopeia. Primary responsibility resided with the USP Pediatrics Advisory Panel and its Ad Hoc Advisory Panel on Children and Medicines.
For further information contact , Ph.D. (239) 591-8550, 6825 Grenadier Boulevard, Apt. 1405, Naples, FL 34108-7218.
Permission to copy is granted provided each copy includes an appropriate attribution statement.
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