Comments on: FDA Issues Medicine Warning on cough and cold meds http://blogs.babiesonline.com/health/fda-issues-medicine-warning/ News & Information about parenting, pregnancy, and Babies Online's services Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:40:33 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Theda K. http://blogs.babiesonline.com/health/fda-issues-medicine-warning/comment-page-1/#comment-418 Theda K. Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:44:20 +0000 http://blogs.babiesonline.com/2008/01/17/fda-issues-medicine-warning/#comment-418 I read the FDA warning, and it seems rather vague. They don't mention exactly which medicines are supposedly unsafe, and instead seem to be concerned with the amount of medicine given, not the type. They mention that parents should read the labels, not give medications that have the same active ingredient, and not to give medication to prevent or cure illnesses. So it really seems like the FDA is aiming the warning at parents who don't understand how to read labels and directions, and who don't understand the causes and (lack of) cures for colds. I don't disagree that that would be a lot of parents, maybe more than half, but there are plenty of parents who know a lot about the medical field. I don't know what the FDA should do. I think it might be best to take all medications off the OTC market, allowing them to only be prescribed by doctors or given to people only by pharmacists with explicit directions. All I know is my daughter benefits when she gets certain medications, especially pseudoephedrine when she's congested. And her doctor told me the correct dosage for her weight. Why would I let her suffer when there's a safe treatment and I know how to administer it correctly? I guess the danger is that all parents think they know what they're doing, but not all do. I just don't think these scare tactics that seem to offer no scientific explanation (or even give us specifics) should be the method to fix the problem. I read the FDA warning, and it seems rather vague. They don’t mention exactly which medicines are supposedly unsafe, and instead seem to be concerned with the amount of medicine given, not the type. They mention that parents should read the labels, not give medications that have the same active ingredient, and not to give medication to prevent or cure illnesses. So it really seems like the FDA is aiming the warning at parents who don’t understand how to read labels and directions, and who don’t understand the causes and (lack of) cures for colds. I don’t disagree that that would be a lot of parents, maybe more than half, but there are plenty of parents who know a lot about the medical field.

I don’t know what the FDA should do. I think it might be best to take all medications off the OTC market, allowing them to only be prescribed by doctors or given to people only by pharmacists with explicit directions.

All I know is my daughter benefits when she gets certain medications, especially pseudoephedrine when she’s congested. And her doctor told me the correct dosage for her weight. Why would I let her suffer when there’s a safe treatment and I know how to administer it correctly? I guess the danger is that all parents think they know what they’re doing, but not all do. I just don’t think these scare tactics that seem to offer no scientific explanation (or even give us specifics) should be the method to fix the problem.

]]> By: Jessdel27 http://blogs.babiesonline.com/health/fda-issues-medicine-warning/comment-page-1/#comment-396 Jessdel27 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:35:23 +0000 http://blogs.babiesonline.com/2008/01/17/fda-issues-medicine-warning/#comment-396 Guess this is something we should all be paying attention to as parents. Thanks for posting. Guess this is something we should all be paying attention to as parents. Thanks for posting.

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