Variation in oral liquid medicine concentrations dispensed to children and adults in primary care in England.

Variation in oral liquid medicine concentrations dispensed to children and adults in primary care in England. | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 9 October 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Variation in oral liquid medicine concentrations dispensed to children and adults in primary care in England. Authors : Andrew Wignell 0009-0000-6831-5170 [email protected] , Jennifer C. Duncan , Mandy Wan , Helen Cooper , Andrea Gill , and Stephen Tomlin Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175998993.38909062/v1 Published British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Version of record Peer review timeline 179 views 147 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Aim: To characterise the variability in concentrations of oral liquid medicines (OLMs) dispensed in primary care in England. Methods: Data detailing all liquid medicines dispensed in primary care in England from February 2019 to January 2020, stratified by age into children (<18 years) and adults (≥18 years), was obtained from the NHS Business Services Authority. For each drug licensing status, the number of prescription items and unique concentrations were examined. For each age group, the 30 drugs most commonly dispensed at multiple concentrations, representing over 50% of prescriptions, were analysed and summarised using descriptive statistics. Results: Of 44.2 million OLM prescription items, 42% were for children. Adjusted for relative sizes of the two populations, children were 2.5 times more likely to be dispensed an OLM than an adult. Children received 294 unique drugs and adults 319. Of the drugs dispensed, 51.4% and 49.2% were supplied in multiple concentrations to children (median 3; range 2- 13) and adults (median 3; range 2-11), respectively. 0.9% of prescription items dispensed to children were unlicensed, and 0.29% for adults, indicating that children were 3 times more likely to receive an unlicensed product. Conclusions: OLMs are widely used in adults and children, although an individual child is more likely to receive an OLM than an individual adult. The availability of multiple OLM concentrations per drug is common, for both licensed and unlicensed products. Rationalisation could be beneficial. Supplementary Material File (oral liquids paper 061025.docx) Download 331.42 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 09 October 2025 Peer review timeline Published British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Version of Record 1 Apr 2026 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Collection British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Authors Affiliations Andrew Wignell 0009-0000-6831-5170 [email protected] University of Nottingham School of Pharmacy View all articles by this author Jennifer C. Duncan Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacy Group View all articles by this author Mandy Wan Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacy Group View all articles by this author Helen Cooper Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacy Group View all articles by this author Andrea Gill University of Nottingham School of Pharmacy View all articles by this author Stephen Tomlin Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacy Group View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 179 views 147 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Andrew Wignell, Jennifer C. Duncan, Mandy Wan, et al. Variation in oral liquid medicine concentrations dispensed to children and adults in primary care in England.. Authorea . 09 October 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175998993.38909062/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. 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