Abstract / Summary
Background: Children rely on caregivers for almost all aspects of medication use, but documented gaps in a caregiver's knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) do not always correspond to safe practices. Objective: To review the evidence of caregiver medication related KAP, look at factors associated with it and explore interventions to ensure paediatric medication safety. Methods: Multiple databases were searched for studies on paediatric caregivers and medication safety. A total of 35 articles were retained for synthesis of 45 articles screened. Results: Knowledge of the caregivers was satisfactory for routine activities, but there was a lack of knowledge regarding antibiotic identification and safe storage/disposal. Overall, the attitude toward professional guidance was largely positive; while a minority advocated self-medication and re-use of antibiotics. Measurement of doses was not always accurate, and antibiotic self-medication was common, associated with home storage. The most consistent determinants were education and health literacy. Multi-component counseling decreased dosing errors and digital tools provided some preliminary but encouraging evidence. Conclusion: An improvement in knowledge and attitudes did not always result in good practice. While education alone may play an important role, some interventions specifically addressing practice barriers will likely be needed to improve paediatric medication safety in the future.