Paediatric fever

Abstract

When a child develops a fever, it may cause them discomfort and distress and may cause their parents a great deal of concern. Numerous over-the-counter paediatric preparations are available to enable parents to manage a child’s fever at home. In the pharmacy the pharmacist’s assistants can provide useful assistance with the selection of the most appropriate anti-pyretic agent in the most suitable formulation. The pharmacist’s assistant should use every opportunity to educate parents about the correct dosing and safe use of these products as they will most likely be kept in the home to be used at a later date. They will also need to be able to assist parents in determining when it is necessary to take their feverish child to the doctor or to ask the pharmacist for further advice.