Medicines for Children: 20 years of accessible, reliable information for families

www.medicinesforchildren.org.uk

Dr Anna Rossiter, project manager for the Medicines for Children initiative at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, provides insights into this long-standing, multi-partner project. Founded in 2006, Medicines for Children is a collaboration with the Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group and the children’s charity WellChild. The project transforms complex medicine information into accessible guidance for families, empowering them to safely administer medicines to their children, even in urgent situations. The website now features over 220 children’s medicines, starting with the most commonly prescribed and expanding to those rarely used but difficult to find information on elsewhere. With approximately 2 million downloads per year globally, the resource is widely used, yet Anna highlights the ongoing need to increase awareness—especially among primary care providers—so that families can be directed to the site when prescriptions are made. The initiative is also creating QR code posters for clinics (such as epilepsy and cardiac clinics) and has launched a parent-held mobile app for children with complex medical needs, currently available on Apple devices. Anna invites clinicians to contribute their expertise to review and expand the information available and to help keep it up to date. This interview took place at the RCPCH conference 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland