Prescribing for children

Many children receive urgent care within emergency departments. Children are at increased risk from the use of medicines for a number of reasons, including the need to calculate a weight or age-based dose or administration of a fraction or proportion of an adult formulation of medicine. Aspects of good practice from the English National Service Framework (NSF) for Children, Young People and Maternity Services are highlighted. The importance of good medicines reconciliation is discussed. Websites that support emergency care practitioners to address medicines adherence and counselling of parents and children on use of medicines are presented. The drug related needs of children and young people must be assessed on an individual basis. Guidelines are outlined to support safe prescribing and medicines administration.