Choosing the best medicine for your child

By ELIOT SPITZER, Attorney General

Who suffers more when your child becomes sick? The child with the symptoms of illness, or you with anxiety?

As every parent knows, having a sick child can be agonizing. You would do anything to make your child feel better. In this situation, however, parents must be careful not to be misled by the advertising claims of drug companies.

My office found recently that a major drug company was playing on the anxiety of parents with sick children when it advertised its products. The company’s ads implied that its product was superior to other drugs used to treat ear infections in children because it required fewer doses and was therefore easier to administer.

My office raised objections to these ads, noting that parents could easily be misled and then pressure their doctors into prescribing the medication. The problem was that the drug wasn’t always right for the children.

As part of an agreement with my office, the company is now required to make new disclosures to consumers in its advertising and promotional materials, including reminders that physicians consider many factors when prescribing an antibiotic, including antibiotic resistance and that antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections such as colds or the flu.

There are several lessons for parents:

First, be skeptical of advertisements by drug manufacturers. Drug companies have been responsible for many outstanding developments that improve our lives, but not every action by the companies is altruistic. In fact, the companies’ main goal is to sell products and make money. As a result, parents must take drug company advertisements with a grain of salt. Second, parents should educate themselves on child health care issues. There are a number of excellent web sites that provide parents with good information and sound advice on prescription drugs. These include www.keepkidshealthy.com, www.kidshealth.org and www.webmd.com. Third, parents should consult their health care professional. You can and should ask why your doctor is prescribing a certain medication. Your doctor and your pharmacist should be happy to discuss any aspect of the medical treatment of your child.

Finally, if you have questions related to advertisements for prescription drugs or other questions about health care, contact my Health Care Hotline at 800/771-7755.