Parents need more support to manage children's medications at home

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-08-05 00:01

New Zealand

Photo by Vitolda Klein on Unsplash

After children have been to hospital they often need to take medicine, and it is generally up to parents to manage this. Researchers interviewed 18 parents/caregivers of children who had been discharged from Middlemore Hospital, and found that while they had a reasonable understanding of why medicines had been prescribed, there was variation and gaps in the information given to them about the medicines. Over a quarter of participants were not supplied with an oral syringe, the most accurate measurement device. Some parents were unsure what to do about missed doses, and how to dispose of medicines safely. The authors recommend a standardised discharge process to improve home management of children's medications, which could include providing written information for better recall, using "teach-back" techniques to ensure instructions have been understood, using interpreters, and providing measuring equipment.

Media release

From: Pasifika Medical Association Group

Managing children’s medicines by parents/caregivers at home can be challenging. This study, carried out at one of the children’s hospitals in New Zealand, shows how parents/caregivers from different ethnic backgrounds, including Māori and Pacific Island, require appropriate and consistent information on discharge medicines from doctors, nurses and pharmacists for safe delivery of medicines to their children at home. The study demonstrates how parents/caregivers did not have appropriate measuring equipment to give medicines safely to their children at home. A standardised discharge process is needed to ensure parents/caregivers are given clear, consistent and easy-to-understand information on their children’s medicines. It is important for health professionals to use health literacy strategies including written information, using interpreters, and providing measuring equipment with instructions to improve parent/caregiver understanding and management of their children’s medicines at home.

Journal/
conference: NZMJ

Organisation/s: University of Auckland, University of Otago, Counties Manukau Health

Funder: I thank the Counties Manukau Heath District Health Board and the School of Pharmacy, University of Otago for providing support and funding for the project.

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