Medication Education for Dosing Safety

Medication Education for Dosing Safety

Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are two of the most commonly used medication products among children <12 years old, and these medications are frequently prescribed for patients leaving the emergency department (ED), but previous studies have shown that parents often leave the ED unsure of how to safely dose these medications at home. This study will be a randomized controlled trial of a brief medication safety intervention, and examining parental knowledge and implementation of appropriate weight-based dosing.

Inclusion Criteria:

• parents of children between ages of 90 days to 11.9 years
• being discharged with a plan for use of liquid acetaminophen (any age) or ibuprofen (limited to those >6 months old). The clinical team will determine planned medication use.
• parental fluency in English or Spanish
• ability to be reached by telephone over the next 7 days
• planned discharge home.

Exclusion Criteria:

• presence of a complex chronic condition in the child
• planned use of a non-standard weight-based medication dose.
• Families will also be excluded if the adult with the child is not a parent or legal guardian.