E-drug: Ten Guiding Principles
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Dear E-Druggers: Comments welcomed by Patricia J. Bush
USP Draft Document
In support of its mission to promote the public health by
disseminating information for the use of medicines, USP sponsored
an open conference, "Children and Medicines: Information Isn't
Just for Grownups" in the fall of 1996. The many
recommendations emanating from that conference stimulated the
USP Ad Hoc Advisory Panel on Children and Medicines to produce
a set of guiding principles that would both reflect the more specific
content of the recommendations and provide direction to those
recognizing the needs of children and adolescents for information
about medicines.
The following draft statement with its ten principles is the result
of that effort. The statement also has been approved by the USP
Advisory Panels on Pediatrics and Consumer Interest. USP now
seeks wider public comment and support.
As an associated task, the USP Ad Hoc Advisory Panel on
Children and Medicines is preparing a Guide to Developing and
Evaluating Medicine Education Programs and Materials for
Children and Adolescents. This Guide will contain
recommendations for content by children's ages as well as forms
for evaluating medicine education programs and materials. The
Guide should be available for review and comment later in the
year.
Ten Guiding Principles for Teaching Children and Adolescents
About Medicines
These principles are intended to encourage activities that will help
children, through adolescence, become active participants in the
process of using medicines* to the best of their abilities.
Recognizing that children of the same age vary in development,
experience, and capabilities, these principles do not specify
children's ages.
Children, as users of medicines, have a right to developmentally
appropriate information about their medicines that reflects the
child's health status, capabilities, and culture.
Children want to know. Health care providers and health educators
should communicate directly with children about their medicines.
Children's interest in medicines should be encouraged, and they
should be taught how to ask questions of health care providers,
parents, and other care givers about medicines.
Children learn by example. The actions of parents and other care
givers should show children appropriate use of medicines.
Children, their parents, and their health care providers should
negotiate the gradual transfer of responsibility for medicine use in
ways that respect parental responsibilities and the health status
and capabilities of the child.
Children's medicine education should take into account what
children want to know about medicines, as well as what health
professionals think children should know.
Children should receive basic information about medicines and
their proper use as a part of school health education.
Children's medicine education should include information about the
general use and misuse of medicines, as well as about the specific
medicines the child is using.
Children have a right to information that will enable them to avoid
poisoning through the misuse of medicines.
Children in clinical trials have a right to receive appropriate
information to promote their understanding before assent and
participation in the trials.
* Medicines include all types: prescription medicines,
non-prescription medicines, herbal remedies, and nutritional
supplements such as vitamins and minerals.
Patricia J. Bush, PhD
USP Division of Information Development
12601 Twinbrook Pkwy
Rockville, MD 20852
USA
tel: 301 816-8118
fax: 301 816-8374
eml: PJB@usp.org
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