The Medicines Committee is a collaborative standing committee with joint membership between RCPCH and Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacy Group (NPPG). Meeting three times a year, it advises external agencies and supports a range of activities to ensure that the medications prescribed for children and young people are safe and effective and provided by appropriately trained healthcare professionals.
Key work areas
- Consultation - We respond to consultation documents from the Government and outside agencies, including the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN).
- Lobbying - We advise and support external agencies and parent/ carer bodies about the licensing, availability, use and surveillance of medicines in paediatric populations. This includes advising on medicines used outside the terms of their UK license, newly licensed products, unlicensed medicines for rare conditions and adverse reactions to medicines.
- Education - we support education, training and research in the field of safe prescribing.
Supporting organisations and resources
- British National Formulary For Children (BNFC) - We input into policy issues on the development of this formulary and we support its production. The BNF + BNFC app gives access to practical, evidence-based medicines information whenever and wherever you need it. If you have not used the BNF + BNFC app before, you can use this Library of Video Guides to help you get started.
- Medicines for Children - We assist with the development of this resource, which provides parents and carers with practical and reliable information on how to give medicines safely to their child. The website has information on over 250 medicines, with a medicines management app in development.
- NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN): Children Specialty - This is one of over 30 specialty therapy areas within the NIHR CRN, bringing together communities of clinical practice to provide national networks of research expertise, and working to support the implementation of research into NHS practice. We support its function in relation to promoting and supporting active and reactive research opportunities relevant to safe prescribing of medicines for children and young people
- Medicines information on QI Central- We provide input into the governance and management of this online resource, which aims to improve medications safety in paediatric research and practice.
Resources and updates
You can explore evidence-based information and updates on this website in Medicines resources.
Contact
For more information about the Medicines Committee, and about medicines resources, email research@rcpch.ac.uk.