Salinas Noyola A, Guinot Jimeno F, Barbero Castleblanque V, Bellet Dalmau L J
Dept. of Paediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, International University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.
Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2010 Feb;11(1):38-40. doi: 10.1007/BF03262708.
To determine which high sugar cough syrups sell most frequently in pharmacies in Barcelona.
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.
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%.
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.
