ABSTRACT. Objective. The aim of the study was to identify the patterns of use of over-the-counter (OTC) medications among children.Methods. The study used a qualitative design, with in-depth interviews of 40 parents with children <5 years of age.Results. There were 3 striking and readily apparent themes in the use of OTC medications among children. One was the administration of OTC medications as a form of "social medication," to give parents control over children's behavior that they perceived as fractious and irritating. A related theme was the use of OTC medications to reduce the inconvenience to the parents of having a sick child, again giving parents greater control and better time-management abilities. Finally, acetaminophen was considered by many parents to have almost miraculous properties in calming, sedating, and lifting the mood of children.Conclusions. The use of OTC medications for the treatment of minor ailments among children is widespread, despite the lack of evidence of efficacy of the most commonly used medications and the potential for toxicity. With the increasing propensity to look to medication as a means of supporting changing lifestyles, there is an urgent need to review the prevalence and effects of social medication. Pediatrics 2004; 114:e378 -e383. URL: http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/ content/full/114/3/e378; parental stress, parental perception, child behavior, drug safety, over-the-counter. ABBREVIATION. OTC, over-the-counter T he late 19th century saw a rising culture of self-medication and ready-to-use drugs for infants, many of which were opiates. In Australia, for instance, proprietary medicines became a common feature in the home and were administered to children almost as soon as they became restless or "cross" in the night. 1 Syrups, "soothers," and teething powders were used for common, minor, health concerns such as "wind" and coughs. To pacify children, chemists, confectioners, and door-to-door salesmen sold narcotic lozenges, prepared with morphine and opium. 1 Teething, which was considered a major health problem for infants and was described as a period filled with "terror to a mother's imagination," was often recorded as the actual cause of death of a child, although now it is thought that the deaths were probably caused by the teething powders themselves, which were made of chloride of mercury and opium. 2 Although these products were marketed as "perfectly mild and free from danger," a coronial inquiry into a spate of infant deaths around 1880 found that many of these medications recommended unsafe doses of alcohol, morphine, and other opiates. An Australian Royal Commission in 1907 reported that 15 000 children were killed every year by soothing syrups and similar preparations. 3 Medications in various (more benign) forms have, however, remained an important feature in the management of many minor "ailments" among children. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications, for example, are promoted through television, radio, and print advertising. The advertisements, which are prim...

The separation between clinical treatment services and psychosocial rehabilitation programmes for people with mental illness has created a system that is fragmented and makes it easy for consumers to 'fall through the net'. For these reasons, there should be greater collaboration between psychosocial and clinical services. This will encourage psychiatrists to refer people to community programmes.

Although there were limitations to sustaining knowledge gained in the asthma camping program, the camping experience provided a benefit for children in terms of promoting their mental and social wellbeing. When readers consider modernising asthma education (e.g. shorter camps, education in everyday social settings such as schools), they need to consider retaining the key ingredients of the more traditional camping program that supports good asthma management, wellbeing and social participation.

The separation between clinical treatment services and psychosocial rehabilitation programmes for people with mental illness has created a system that is fragmented and makes it easy for consumers to 'fall through the net'. For these reasons, there should be greater collaboration between psychosocial and clinical services. This will encourage psychiatrists to refer people to community programmes.