Over-the-counter drug use—estimations within the Swedish paediatric population

We have used three different sources to estimate the use of drugs sold over the counter (OTC) by the Swedish paediatric population during 2007–2008 as part of a European evaluation initiated by the European Medicines Agency. An estimation of the paediatric use from the total numbers of over-the-coun...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of pediatrics 2011-05, Vol.170 (5), p.583-588
Main Authors: Nydert, Per, Kimland, Elin, Kull, Inger, Lindemalm, Synnöve
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addictive behaviors
Adolescent
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child, Preschool
Children & youth
Cohort Studies
Drug addiction
Drug stores
Drug use
Drug Utilization - statistics & numerical data
Emergency medical care
Epidemiology
Female
General aspects
Generic drugs
Hospitals
Humans
Infant
Inventory
Investigations
Male
Medical sciences
Medicin och hälsovetenskap
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Nonprescription drugs
Nonprescription Drugs - therapeutic use
Original Paper
Parents & parenting
Pediatrics
Pharmaceuticals
Pharmacy
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Questionnaires
Surveys and Questionnaires
Sweden
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Summary:We have used three different sources to estimate the use of drugs sold over the counter (OTC) by the Swedish paediatric population during 2007–2008 as part of a European evaluation initiated by the European Medicines Agency. An estimation of the paediatric use from the total numbers of over-the-counter drugs (OTCD) packages sold by Swedish pharmacies and analyses of two separate questionnaires directed towards a population of 11- to 14-year-old children and another towards visitors to one of the paediatric emergency wards in Stockholm County were included in the study. In Sweden, 1.25 OTC packages are sold quarterly per child (0–18 years), and the children in both questionnaire studies use, on average, 0.9 OTC substances. Sixty-five percent of the children visiting an emergency ward and 67% of the 13-year-old Stockholm inhabitants had used at least one OTCD. OTCD use among children is common. Interpretation of OTCD data must be done carefully since questions with regard to OTCD use is subject to recall bias and the number of packages sold to children is hypothesised through a conversion factor.
ISSN:0340-6199
1432-1076
1432-1076
DOI:10.1007/s00431-010-1321-5