Inaccurate medication dosing in the pediatric patient population (three years of age and younger) is common and costly. Medical literature abounds with statistics and objective data supporting the finding that inaccurate medication dosing in the pediatric patient population is a common problem. For example, a significant number of pediatric patients are: hospitalized with medication dosing errors; die as a result of dosing errors; taken to emergency rooms with persistent fever-related illnesses due to under-dosage with acetaminophen; and treated for over-dosage with acetaminophen. Studies confirm that a large majority of caregivers: fail to give the required dosage of the over-the-counter medication acetaminophen; do not accurately read and follow labeling instructions; fail to increase dosage as the pediatric patient's age or weight increases; or give less than the manufacturer's recommended dosage. It is also known that over-the-counter pediatric medications commonly have no specific instructions for dosing a child under the age of two. For most over-the-counter pediatric medication in liquid form, the dosing instructions are by “age” for children under age two and by “weight” for children above age two, which is conflicting and unclear. When the medication bottle is removed from the packaging and the packaging is discarded, the complicated dosing instructions, which are generally on the packaging, are no longer available to the caregiver.
There is a need for greater assurance that the medication recommended for the pediatric population is dosed correctly. Medication labeling is usually the only tool available to assure the consumer of accurate dosing. However, labeling has proven to be ineffective, confusing, costly, and controversial. Improving the label will not dramatically improve the rate of accuracy in dosing medications. A simple, inexpensive, consumer friendly device for dosing accuracy should replace the current standard of labeling. And, the dosing information should be integral to the medication container.