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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 He said the researchers hope that the study's findings "will be of use to the FDA as it continues to deliberate how better to inform the public about the appropriateness of over-the-counter medications."
Dr. Michael G. Spigarelli, an assistant professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said that the labels now used on these medicines are clearer.
"I don't disagree with the findings, but I think they are out of date," Spigarelli said. "I don't think they used the current language." The new packages, for example, no longer say, "pediatrician recommended" and "consult your doctor," he said.
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But he agrees that drug labeling can be confusing. "It's part marketing and part science, and I don't know that they interact very well together," he said.
Labels need to serve the public and tell the truth about the medication -- not merely protect manufacturers from liability, Spigarelli said.
"The labeling should be readable by the public, and it should be honest," Spigarelli said. "The problem is, as soon as you add the word 'honest,' you start getting legal, which makes it more complicated."
More information
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more on cold medicines for children.
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