Idle musings..on us all being totally ripped off buying paracetamol for our children.....

[PaulaYatesBiggestFan]

I was just thinking as i came out of the chemists

I paid £3.17 for a 250 mg ( ml?) bottle of lloys pharmacy paracetamol suspension for my children

tablets cost about 2p /1000

I am sure the suspension is pricey and the bottle will tip the balance but hey? Is it not the case that the drug companies are totally cashing in on our under 10's being unable to swallow tablets?

I think so ...someone with more knowledge can convince me otherwise!

ok thankyou wilkie - i will try that- sounds good

rather feel in my boots they will look at me blankly and offer me calpol but worth a go !

do i get a snog then?

....peck?

Here is the list of things you get half price

I heard you Wilkie!! I never knew about this until recently, but I know some local pharmacies offer this service. Must remember to ask next time.

saltire ..i am an advantage card holder does that mean i am entitled to that half price?

Paula - you have to register first, (do it online), they then send you a load of crap through the post which activates your advantage card so you can use it when you go in.

It depends when you got your Advantage card. if it was recently then chances are you were signed up to health club at the same time. Best bet is to go in and ask, if you are not a member yet, but sign up in store, then you will get the chance to get your purchases half price staright away, as the staff should have a bar code thing to scan. Then after about 3/4 weeks your pack will come through, and there should be leaflets and vouchers, including some for money off health products or extra points.

after about 2 years of buying calpol i discovered tescos own version, which is what my littlies have

Saltire

Was it you who was proper poorly this morning with a rash ??

If so how are you ?

If not, who the hell was it ???

in case nobody has posted 6+ paracetamol suspension has the doses on it for age 12 months +, it is twice the strength so lasts twice as long and doesn't cost twice as much.

Yes it was/is me. I feel shite to be honest, thanks for asking though. The rash is still there, I look like I have been dipped in red paint. I also have swollen joints and can hardly walk, or use my wrists, I don't even know why I am on MN, as even my fingers are swollen and sore, but I can't go to bed as I won't sleep. DS1 has the rash as well, just on his face though. We are going to docs tomorrow

yes cara i only buy 6+ stuff

Cat - do you just want a kiss too???

thanks for tips saltire

it's great, the minor ailments thing. the gist is that you're supposed to go and tell the pharmacist all about the minor ailment and they'll tell you what you need, but in actual fact i just buzz in and say, 'teething and cough please, i'll have some gel, some calpol sachets and some cough meds, please'.

will look up scheme thankyou

I think I would get laughed out of the surgery if I went in and asked for a script for calpol. My GP said 'my you're an expensive little thing' to my DS (who was 6 months at the time) when I went to get a repeat prescription for the emollient she'd prescribed for his eczema. Last week they told my mum to buy calpol and canestan when she took him in with a fungal infection - no suggestion of a script. They have to pay for them in England

My GP told me years ago to give them tablets as soon as they can swallow them. I think the 6+ calpol, one 5ml spoon = half a tablet. My youngest 2 just had 1/4 or half regular tablet, taken in food or with fizzy drinks (easier to swallow with fizzy) from about 3 years

Wilkie - ahem - you missed me out!

Thankfully my older pair (9 & 7) can swallow 1/2 a paracetamol tablet.

I used to buy 6+ Calpol and give 1/2 doses too cargirl. I'd forgotten about that. Would be fine for my 4yo.

Hmm. Now, why do I think you're really not supposed to crush or cut tablets in half? Something to do with the coating being designed to disolve over the right time period int eh stomach and half tablets aren't accurate enough to ensure the right dosage...

???

Sure there was something on the news about it...

Peaches afaik you are partly right. Some tablets have an enteric coating. Some are "slow release" or in similar formulations and as you sayshouldn't be broken, crushed etc. When I dispensed meds in hospital we had a special "pill cutter" - some tablets that are scored are designed to be snapped in half. Others most definitely aren't.

However other tablets are fine, inc normal plain paracetamol - but of course it is always wise to check with a dr/pharmacy if unsure. (paracetamol says on the container that 1/2 - 1 tablet is the dose for children age 6-12 years), suggesting it is fine to break them.

Buy dissolvable. No need to crush.

I wonder at what age it would be safe to crush "normal" paracetamol (obviously with the dose calculated appropriately and safely) and mix it with something that a dc would take. (jam or something)?

my mum did this when I was about 5 - I STILL hate the taste of apricot jam. You can't mask the bitter flavour in my experience - you just need to get it down quick and then eat or drink something to take the taste away.