The use of prescription medicines and self‐medication among children—a population‐based study in Finland

Abstract

Most of the children's medication consists of self-medication, and especially of vitamin use. However, also a considerable proportion had used prescription medicines, and a minority prescription medicines and self-medication concomitantly. In three of the cases, a combination of prescription and OTC medicine with a potential risk for interactions were found. Physicians should be aware of this wide use of self-medication when prescribing medicines.