Drugs and medicines
News
Medicine safety alert - ranitidine (withdrawn)
10 February 2021
Ranitidine products (Brand names including Zantac®) were voluntarily withdrawn by manufacturers in October 2019 due to the presence of low levels of an impurity called NDMA. The European Medicines Agency has since confirmed its recommendation to suspend all ranitidine medicines in the EU.
Resource
Antiepileptic drugs: review of safety of use during pregnancy
Following the known harms of valproate in pregnancy, MHRA released a report looking into the safety data for epilepsy medicines during pregnancy.
Resource
Brexit and child health - summary of agreements
During the transition period, RCPCH called on Government to put children and young people’s best interest at the centre of its negotiations with the European Union. We summarise and review the agreements made in the UK-EU deal that will impact on child health and our members.
News
Medicines safety alert - Erythromycin therapy
5 January 2021
Erythromycin in babies and infants has been associated with an increased risk of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.
News
Updated guidance on valproate use in women and girls of childbearing years is published
14 December 2020
This guidance, updated in December 2020 and endorsed by RCPCH, has been produced to inform all healthcare professionals of best practice around the use and prescribing of valproate. It supports them to navigate situations that could arise as a result of prescribing valproate to women during childbea...
News
Thirteen UK healthcare bodies launch ‘pragmatic’ guidance on valproate use
14 December 2020
Experts from 13 national bodies, including seven Royal Colleges, have joined forces to launch new practical guidance to support doctors and other health professionals around valproate use in women and girls in their reproductive years.
Resource
Choosing an Oral Liquid Medicines for Children - joint position statement
We are very pleased to announce the publication of this latest position statement produced by the Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacist Group (NPPG) and endorsed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) regarding how to choose an oral liquid for a child.
Resource
Epilepsy12 & OPEN UK National Conference 2020 resources
On 10 September 2020, we hosted our third annual Epilepsy12 & Organisation of Paediatric Epilepsy Networks (OPEN UK) national conference 2020: 'Working together to improve epilepsies’, as a live webinar. Access resources and presentations from the event on this page.
News
Therapeutic alert - Corticosteroids in the treatment of suspected or confirmed COVID-19
9 September 2020
Following recent publication of the REMAP-CAP trial for hydrocortisone and a meta-analysis of corticosteroids, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recently issued new interim guidance recommending the use of systemic corticosteroids in severe and critical COVID-19 disease.
Resource
Anti-inflammatory medicines and COVID-19 - advice for parents and carers
Experts at RCPCH recommend that parents treat symptoms of fever or pain related to COVID-19 with either paracetamol or ibuprofen.