What medicines is your child on?

Ever feel annoyed because everyone seems to be asking the same questions about your child's medicines, and your anxiety level is already high because your child is so sick? Can you even remember everything right now?

Do you have an index card or document listing all of the medicines (prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal) medicines that your child is on? Are all the doses and number of times the medicine is given accurate? How long has your child been taking them? Have you any idea why your child is taking the medicine? Is your child's weight (in kilograms and pounds) current? Do you know if your child is up-to-date with all of the routine childhood vaccinations? Can you remember which doctor prescribed a particular medicine (for example, allergist prescribed montelukast [Singulair(R)]).

It's a good idea to keep track of this information and have it handy in one place so that your child's doctor, pharmacist, hospital, or other health care workers can avoid medication errors. These can include prescribing a medicine your child is already taking or prescribing the wrong dose because your child has not been weighed in a year.

Watch this recent news segment for tips on how to give medicines safely in children. The Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group (PPAG) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) have great lists that parents can complete and print out. ASHP's list can be completed online prior to printing. Google Health is another way to keep track of this information. No matter which list you choose, make sure you review and update the information several times a year, or when changes are made. This will save you time and agony, especially when there is an unexpected visit for urgent care. Then you won't feel like a broken record.