Pharmacists need to provide better information to teenagers on risks and benefits of medicines

Hyderabad, India: A large proportion of teenagers regularly and frequently take some form of medication without receiving targeted information about the risks and benefits, according to a review of current research, to be presented at the annual congress of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) tomorrow (Tuesday).

Dr Priya Bahri will tell delegates that 35% of boys and 45% of girls in Europe and the USA take painkillers for headaches every month. In addition, they take a variety of other medicines for things like stomach aches, sleeping disorders, nervousness, asthma, infectious diseases and for pregnancy prevention. "Most teenagers take their medicines appropriately, but there is evidence of accidental or intentional inappropriate use or misuse," she says.

At a time when young people want to be independent of their parents and make their own decisions about their bodies and medications, they feel misunderstood by healthcare professionals, have concerns over side effects and may be confused by information coming from a variety of sources such as their friends, their family, the internet, the news, and the healthcare professionals they encounter, says Dr Bahri, who is the pharmacovigilance lead for guidelines and risk communication at the European Medicines Agency (London, UK), but who was speaking in a personal capacity.

"Part of teenage life is starting to make your own health choices. The medicines that teenagers use most frequently and largely autonomously include those for asthma, and painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen. Every month in Europe and the USA, about 35% of boys and 45% of girls use painkillers for headaches. Teenagers also use other medicines: every month 32% use them for stomach aches, 6% for sleeping disorders and 6% for nervousness. The prevalence of asthma, one of the most frequent chronic disorders worldwide, is around 10% in teenagers, so most of those with this condition will be taking medication for it, and it is estimated from worldwide data that around a quarter of teenage girls will be taking some form of contraceptive, including hormonal ones. In addition, girls may be invited to receive the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine to protect them against cervical cancer. However, public discussions in the media over the usefulness and safety of these measures make some feel anxious and confused," she says.

Dr Bahri is investigating how well information about medications are communicated to teenagers, and has found that not only is there very little research into this area, but what there is indicates that healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, need to improve the way they talk to young people and communicate the risks and benefits of medicines.

"The HPV vaccination programme is a good example of where healthcare professionals could be better prepared for communication with teenagers," she says. "There were several incidents in Europe of HPV vaccination-related anxiety attacks among girls receiving the vaccine. In addition, in many countries in the world, older children and adolescents, rather than young children receive various vaccinations, and may develop concerns over them.