Sign in Subscribe

Medication Tips & Safety

Dosing help, formulation choices, and medication safety tips from a pediatric pharmacist and mom.

Managing Medication Schedules During After-School Activities and Sports

Managing Medication Schedules During After-School Activities and Sports

In my house, the time before 3 PM, Monday through Friday, is also known as the calm before the chaos. At 3 o'clock, when the bus rolls by, the afternoon marathon begins! We’re off to piano lessons, soccer practice, ballet, basketball tryouts, art class, and more. Usually

Safe Storage of Medications During Holiday Candy Season

Safe Storage of Medications During Holiday Candy Season

Every holiday season, my house turns into a candy crazed place of chaos. Between Halloween leftovers, goodie bags, classroom parties, and Christmas stockings, my kids somehow manage to hide treats in every corner of the house. Despite my best efforts, I’ve found candy canes mushed into couch cushions, Halloween

FDA Safety Communication on Withdrawal Itch from Cetirizine and Levocetirizine

FDA Safety Communication on Withdrawal Itch from Cetirizine and Levocetirizine

If your child uses or has been using the antihistamines cetirizine (Zyrtec) or levocetirizine (Xyzal) as a maintenance therapy, this one’s for you — and yes, this includes you grown‑ups too! The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a safety alert about a rather unexpected outcome:

Managing Side Effects: What’s Normal Vs. What Needs Medical Attention

Managing Side Effects: What’s Normal Vs. What Needs Medical Attention

When my daughter was 4, she had a strange rash with some hives. We believe a virus caused them. After talking to her pediatrician, I decided to try an antihistamine. Cetirizine (Zyrtec®) would have been ideal, but I was out! So I gave her a dose of liquid diphenhydramine (Benadryl®

How Long Until a Medicine Should Start Working?

How Long Until a Medicine Should Start Working?

If you’ve ever given your child a dose of medicine and immediately started the countdown as if it’s rocket launch time, you’re not alone. I’ve done it too—when my toddler is cranky with an ear infection and I squirt amoxicillin in their mouth, then stare

Why Your Pediatrician Chose This Medication—and Not Another

Why Your Pediatrician Chose This Medication—and Not Another

Parents often ask why a doctor chooses one medicine over another, or why a drug used in adults isn’t recommended for kids. The short answer is that pediatric care has its own unique science! Doctors consider several factors, including how medicine is metabolized in growing children, its mode of

Which is Best for your Child

Liquid Vs. Pill Forms: Which Is Best for Your Child?

Have you ever tried to get your toddler to drink a disgusting-tasting prescription liquid? (I have – a lot of it ended up on the walls…) Or debated bribing your older child to swallow a tablet instead of going through the hassle of getting a new prescription for a suspension? Sometimes