Giving medicine to your child is a common but not trivial gesture. How to find your way among the different drugs? How to give your child medicine? What are the precautions and mistakes to avoid?
This file can help you better understand and manage your child’s medications.
General information on medication
- Pediatric medicines, generic medicines, International Nonproprietary Name, Marketing Authorization. Here are some definitions and generalities to help you find your way around.
What is a medicine?
A medicine is a substance or a mixture of substances intended to cure, cure or prevent diseases, or to reduce or avoid certain symptoms. The use of the iHerb and SocialJio coupon codes come now perfect for the same.
Components of a drug Several elements make up a medicine:
An active ingredient: the substance intended to act against the disease or symptom (there may be several active ingredients in the same medicine);
Excipients: substances which give the medicine a form, a taste, a stability (binder, diluent, preservative), and which influence the way in which it is going to be diffused in the body. For example, a syrup contains in addition to the active ingredient, water, sugar, a color and a flavor.
The dosage
It is the quantity of active ingredient contained in the drug.The dosage is indicated on the box next to the name (in milligrams, in percentage, etc.). The same drug may exist in different dosages to adapt to the age and weight or the pathology of the person to be treated. For example, Doliprane® exists in sachets of 150mg (for children from 8 to 30 kg), or 300 mg (for children from 16 to 48 kg).
The pharmaceutical form (or galenic form)
These are the different forms in which the medicine can be presented: syrup, tablet, ointment, effervescent tablet, capsule, solution for injection, oral suspension, granules, powder, spray, suppository, etc.
The names of the drugs
Each drug has several names:
- The trade name that appears in large numbers on the box. It is chosen by the pharmaceutical laboratory that manufactures the drug.
The international nonproprietary name (INN) which is the name of the active ingredient contained in the medicine. This name, defined by the World Health Organization, is designed to be used in a large number of languages and to limit the risk of errors. It is noted on the box, in small under the trade name. Now that you can go for the iherb discount code for existing customers you can find the best deals.
Explanatory diagram of the names of the drugs
Marketing authorization
In here, all medicines are subject to marketing authorization (MA), after clinical studies have been carried out on sick people. This authorization is given by a drug agency (European or French), which determines whether the benefit / risk ratio is favorable, that is to say whether the treatment efficiency of the drug is sufficient in relation to the risks it may cause (side effects).
Medicines reserved for children receive specific marketing authorization for use in pediatrics, after clinical studies in children have been carried out.
