The National Medicines Agency wants to allow parents to identify another paracetamol medicine if the one on their prescription is no longer available.
For several weeks, the reserves of pediatric drugs have been at their lowest. In a context of “paracetamol supply tensions” the Ansm (National Medicines Agency), publishes this Thursday “the list of pediatric drugs to be used according to the weight of the child”.
This list of paracetamol-based medicines “in particular makes it possible to identify the medicines which can currently be delivered by pharmacists to replace the medicine mentioned on the prescription in the event of its immediate unavailability.”
Faced with “the stock shortage of doliprane 100 mg, scored suppository”, the Ansm thus advises to reserve priority for children from 3 to 4 kg of “Doliprane 2.4%, oral suspension” and “Dolko 60 mg / 2 ml, oral solution in bottle (from 3.5 kg)”.
For children over 4 kg “several alternative presentations to multidose drinkable forms of paracetamol are available”, writes the Ansm and “the choice must be made according to the weight of the child.” The Medicines Agency proposes in a document the possible alternatives according to the weight of the children, to be found HERE.
Not always “necessary to give your child medicine”
ANSES adds that “it is not necessary to give your child medicine for fever if his temperature does not exceed 38.5 ° C.”
“Simple gestures make it possible to relieve a child of a fever and the associated signs of discomfort (…) remove layers of clothing, without undressing him completely, and install him in a cool and ventilated room (between 18 and 20°C). Give him something to drink often, even if he doesn’t ask you to, fresh water for example.”
Everyone is invited to ask a doctor or pharmacist for their opinion before buying paracetamol for their child, above all not to stock up on paracetamol and to make “reasonable use” of it.
“Since July 2022, we have been doing everything we can to limit the impact of paracetamol tensions”, assures ANSES, “at our request, the laboratories have thus increased their production capacity.”
