WEDNESDAY, May 4, 2011 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health officials issued final guidance Wednesday for the production, marketing and distribution of liquid over-the-counter drug products that are measured and dispensed with provided devices such as spoons, cups and droppers.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration developed the guidance in response to concerns about the risk of overdoses when using liquid over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, cold medicines, cough syrups and digestion aids if the dispensing devices included with the products have markings that are confusing, unclear or inconsistent with the dosage directions on the label.
Among the main recommendations in the guidance:
"Accidental medication overdose in young children is an increasingly common, but preventable, public health problem," Dr. Karen Weiss, program director for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research's Safe Use Initiative, said in an FDA news release.
The FDA also outlined 10 tips that should be followed by parents and caregivers when giving medicine to an infant or child:
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