Patricia Vandecruys, Pharmacist and Site Manager at the Montreal Children’s Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre, says your pharmacist can answer questions about how the medication works, what dose to give, and how often. Your pharmacist will give you an information sheet about the medication, but it’s a good idea to review the following points with them before you head home.
- The name of the medicine.
- What the medicine is for.
- The dose or amount of medicine to give your child, and how to measure it if it’s a liquid medicine (your pharmacist can provide you with a dosing spoon or oral syringe).
- How often and for how long you should give your child the medicine—e.g. 3 times/day for 10 days. Always finish an antibiotic treatment as prescribed even after symptoms have subsided.
- Whether your child can take the medicine with food.
- How to know if the medicine is working.
- What to do if a dose is missed or if your child vomits after taking the medicine.
- The most common and important side effects.
Also, if your child is taking other medications, go over the list with the pharmacist to make sure there won’t be any problem giving two medications at the same time. Remember to mention over-the-counter medications, natural products and homeopathic remedies too.