Media Releases
Cough and Cold Medicines Should Not be Given to Children Under Six
7 October 2009
Medsafe has accepted the recommendation of the Cough and Cold Review Group that cough and cold medicines should not be given to children under six years of age in light of limited evidence that these medicines work in children and reports of side effects.
Early this year, Medsafe convened the Cough and Cold Review Group to carry out a thorough review of the benefits and risks of using cough and cold medicines in children following advice by Canadian and UK authorities against the use of these products for children under six. The Cough and Cold Review Group consisted of pharmacists, doctors, paediatricians and representatives from the New Zealand Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring, the Medicines Adverse Reactions Committee, Plunket, the pharmaceutical industry and the public.
“Medsafe will work closely with manufacturers to implement the Cough and Cold Review Group's recommendations as soon as possible,” Medsafe Group Manager Dr Stewart Jessamine said.
"More information will be provided to healthcare professionals and consumers as the recommendations are implemented," he added.
Further information on the recommendations made by the Cough and Cold
Review Group, including the minutes of the Group’s meetings, can be found on
the Medsafe website:
(http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/hot/alerts/CoughandCold/CoughandCold.asp)
“After full consideration of the data, the Group has recommended that oral cough and cold medicines should not be used in children under six with the exception of those containing only bromhexine,” Cough and Cold Review Group Chair Andi Shirtcliffe said.
“Our review found that the balance of risks and benefits for the use of these medicines in children under six is unfavourable,” Mrs Shirtcliffe cited.
As with all medicines, consumers and healthcare professionals are encouraged to report all suspected adverse reactions to the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM).
ENDS
Background:
- Medsafe is the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority, and is part of the Ministry of Health.
- The Cough and Cold Review Group considered that the use of oral medicines containing bromhexine only or intra-nasal decongestants (such as oxymetazoline and xylometazoline) should remain restricted to adults and children two years of age and over.
- More information on reporting adverse reactions to medicines can be found at: http://carm.otago.ac.nz/reporting.asp