If your child suffered a cold medicine overdose, you’re not alone. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that roughly 7,000 children under age 11 are treated in emergency rooms each year because of over-the-counter cold medications.
In 2008, the FDA issued a public health advisory recommending that over-the-counter cold products should not be used in children under age two. However, child medication errors are still a major problem. Here are some of the reasons these errors keep occurring:
- Doctor errors. FDA reports have found that many health care professionals have prescribed Tussionex, a long-release cough medication, for patients younger than the approved aged group of six years and older. Doctors have also told parents to administer the drug more frequently than the labeled dosage allowance.
- Overdosing. There are several ways overdosing can occur. Parents may give the medication too often, administer more than the recommended amount, or use multiple medications containing the same active ingredient. Additionally, some children take medication without their parent's knowledge - especially if they like the taste.
- Measuring errors. Serious injuries, and even deaths, have occurred because the prescription contained incorrect dosage instructions, the dosage was miscalculated for the child’s weight and age group, or did not include a standard measuring device to portion the child’s dose.
If your child was injured due to an over-the-counter medication, our pharmacy error lawyers can help. Call Kennedy Hodges today at 888-526-7616 to learn about your legal options. We offer a FREE case evaluation.
Looking for more information on drug error injury cases? Order a FREE copy of our book, How to Make Pharmacies Pay for Injuries Caused by Medication Errors.