Short Communication. Frequency of dispensing paediatric medicines with high sugar content by pharmacists in Barcelona

AIM: To determine which high sugar cough syrups sell
most frequently in pharmacies in Barcelona. METHODS:
300 pharmacies in 10 districts of Barcelona (Spain) were
visited and data collected on the type of syrup-based medicines
dispensed most often over a 3-month period in 2008.
RESULTS: Data was collected in 142 out of 300 pharmacies.
The percentage of the medicines sold by group of antibiotics
(sweetener) were: Augmentine® (aspartame) 5.72%;
Clamoxyl® (sucrose) 3.28%; Ceclor® (sucrose) 3.66%. In the
anti-inflammatory group: Junifen® 2.0% (saccharine sódic);
3.59%, Junifen® 4.0% (sodic sucrose); 4.35%, Apiretal®
Codeine (sucrose); 0.31%, Dalsy® (sucrose) 39.35%; Febrectal
® (sodic saccharine): 0.89%. CONCLUSIONS: It is very
important to advise parents, pharmacists, paediatricians,
and paediatric dentists about low-sweetener paediatric
medicine alternatives to control the high content sucrose
medicines. The aim should be to reduce the intake of over
the counter medication.