Children's medicines

Mother and child with medicine.jpgIn partnership with organisations representing health professionals, children and young people, parents and carers, the College manages and supports projects in medicines for infants, children and young people. 


Medicines for Children launch - 12 December 2011

Our Medicines for Children leaflets provide reliable and practical information for parents and carers about giving medicines to their child.

We have now launched our brand new website, with over 100 medicines leaflets, instructional films on giving medicines, parents' stories, and latest news about children's medicines. For more information, visit the Medicines for Children page.


Joint RCPCH/NPPG Standing Committee on medicines

The Medicines Committee is a unique collaborative standing committee with membership split between the RCPCH and Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group (NPPG).

The Committee has five key work areas:

  1. Responding to consultation documents in government health policy and clinical guidelines, standards and appraisals of medicines

  2. Inputting into strategic and policy issues on the British National Formulary for Children (BNF-C) and supporting its production

  3. Responsibility for the production of medicines information for parents and carers

  4. Advising and supporting RCPCH and NPPG on lobbying Government and other agencies on policy issues on licensing, availability and use of medicines in children

  5. Working with the Medicines for Children Research Network in relation to research opportunities and practice implications

For more information about the Committee, email the Committee Administrator.


Medicines Committee statement on unlicensed medicines

Medicines for children are regularly provided off-licence (where the medicine does not have a license for use in children) or off-label (where the medicine is used in a different way than that described in the license).

This statement, produced by the Joint Standing Committee on Medicines, informs and guides health professionals, health service managers, and parents and carers who prescribe, dispense, administer or have responsibility for medicines for children.

Statement on unlicensed medicines (October 2010) (PDF)

For further information about this statement, email the Committee Administrator.


MCRN LOGO small .jpgMedicines for Children Research Network (MCRN)

The Medicines Committees works with the MCRN, which was developed in 2005 to improve the coordination, speed and quality of randomised controlled trials and other well-designed studies of medicines for children and young people. It is one of six research networks managed by the UK Clinical Research Network (UKCRN).

For more information, visit the MCRN website

Associated Publications, Resources and Links

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  • RCPCH publications
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  • Methodology and data collection
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  • Clinical Audit and Quality Improvement
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  • Stakeholder organisations
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