Labelling of Dispensed Oral Medicines for Children

Oral medicines are widely prescribed and dispensed for neonates and children. Parents, carers and patients are often reliant on dosing instructions provided on the dispensing label to ensure that the medicine is given correctly.

The wording used to communicate dosing information on dispensing labels is known to be highly variable. This lack of consistency increases the potential for confusion and dosing error; such errors have been associated with patient harm, including death.

To increase consistency and thus reduce the likelihood of error, it is recommended that when preparing dispensing labels for oral medicines:

• For liquid medicines, the dose is expressed in millilitres (mL) only. Ensure that the volume specified can be measured with the syringe/spoon provided.
• For solid dosage forms, the dose is expressed as the number of tablets or capsules to be taken. The quantity of tablets to be taken must be expressed numerically rather than in words, e.g. “1 capsule” or “2 tablets” rather than “one capsule” or “two tablets”.  
• The dosing frequency must be expressed in words as the number of times “a day” the medicine should be taken, rather than the number of times “daily” the medicine should be taken, e.g.: “ONCE a day”, “TWICE” a day, “THREE times a day” or “FOUR times a day”.

Full Guidance