Children's flu medication: Safety is more important than efficacy!

The high incidence season of influenza is also a period of relatively high medication safety risks for children. Children's liver and kidney functions have not fully developed, making them more sensitive to medication. Therefore, any medication decision must prioritize "safety". When choosing flu medication, parents pursue efficacy but are more concerned about "side effects". Pharmacists are often asked this question when recommending medication. Regarding this core issue, pharmacists can adopt a complementary approach between Chinese and Western medicine. The multicenter clinical study of Qinxiang Qingjie Oral Liquid has provided a reassuring answer: its safety performance is comparable to the classic anti influenza drug oseltamivir (1), adding a solid line of defense for children's medication safety.

Qinxiang Qingjie Oral Liquid can be called "oseltamivir" in traditional Chinese patent medicines and simple preparations

As early as 2022, Qinxiang Qingjie Oral Liquid, the first child flu specific drug published in the international journal Translational Pediatrics (IF=4.047), has undergone rigorous research and verification on its safety. At that time, a high-quality clinical study on influenza published in an international SCI journal closely monitored the safety indicators between the group using Qinxiang Qingjie oral solution and the group using oseltamivir. The results showed that Qinxiang Qingjie Oral Liquid had similar therapeutic effects on children with influenza compared to oseltamivir in terms of complete fever reduction time and clinical recovery time, both achieving clinical recovery within 3 days and complete fever reduction within 36 hours; In terms of relieving symptoms, Qinxiang Qingjie Oral Liquid can more effectively alleviate sore throat, constipation, etc; At the same time, in terms of safety evaluation, there was no difference in clinical adverse events, incidence of adverse reactions, laboratory testing and functional examination related indicators, vital signs and other indicators compared to oseltamivir (1).

Undoubtedly, compared to the widely recognized effective flu drug "oseltamivir", Qinxiang Qingjie Oral Liquid is a good choice for pediatric flu patients. On the one hand, its safety and efficacy have been scientifically validated; On the other hand, Qinxiang Qingjie Oral Liquid performs better in improving symptoms such as sore throat and constipation; Furthermore, oral liquid preparations are more conducive to medication administration in young children and have good compliance. Why are children's flu medications more concerned about safety? According to statistics, during the flu season, over 40% of preschool children and over 30% of school aged children are susceptible to the flu. The study also found that children under the age of 5 are at high risk for severe influenza, and children under the age of 2 are more likely to develop serious complications (1). At present, the most important way for Western medicine to prevent childhood influenza is to receive influenza vaccine, and antiviral drugs are used for treatment (2).

In this large group of influenza susceptible individuals, there is a high demand for medication and it is easy to develop into severe illness. Additionally, children's body systems are not mature, and their drug metabolism and excretion are different from adults, making them more prone to adverse reactions and requiring higher drug safety requirements. Although oseltamivir has clear efficacy and high safety, the side effects of Western medicine are still a concern for parents. As stated in the Expert Consensus on Diagnosis and Treatment of Childhood Influenza (2020 edition), vomiting remains a more common adverse reaction of oseltamivir compared to placebo (2). Therefore, seeking an alternative solution that does not compromise efficacy and has controllable side effects has become the expectation of many parents. However, many parents have misunderstandings about traditional Chinese medicine or question its safety due to its complex composition. The study of Qinxiang Qingjie Oral Liquid compared to Oseltamivir objectively and quantitatively evaluated its safety using modern evidence-based medicine methods, eliminating parental doubts.

Safety is the bottom line for rational drug use in children. Qinxiang Qingjie Oral Liquid has proven its good safety with solid clinical data, giving parents a sense of calm and peace of mind when dealing with the raging flu. As a pharmacy professional, understanding customers' needs, grasping their psychology, and addressing their pain points are also the key to success for pharmacy professionals.

Reference:

(1) China's first pediatric specific drug has been published in an international SCI journal for high-quality clinical research on the treatment of influenza. The clinical research results of Qinxiang Qingjie and Zhiyi for the treatment of influenza in children have been published in Translational Pediatrics Chinese Medical Information Bulletin, September 1, 2022

(2) Expert Consensus on Diagnosis and Treatment of Childhood Influenza (2020 Edition) Chinese Journal of Practical Pediatrics, Volume 35, Issue 17, September 2020