Changes in alternative treatments for pain and cough in children after introduction of risk minimisation measures for codeine (Alternatives to codeine)

Europe-wide risk minimisation measures (RMMs) were introduced for the use of codeine for the treatment of pain relief in children in June 2013 to minimise the risk of serious adverse events. In April 2015, similar RMMs were also introduced for the use of codeine in the treatment of cough or cold in paediatric patients. This is a drug utilisation study in a cohort of patients under 18 years of age. The study has the following objectives: 1. To assess whether the codeine referrals for the treatment of pain and cough or cold in patients below 18 years of age were temporally associated with statistically significant changes in prescribing of alternative analgesics, antitussives or cold medicines in this patient population. 2. To describe prescribing trends for codeine and alternative analgesics and antitussives over time in patients below 18 years of age by evaluating the total number of children with a prescription and the total number of prescriptions of codeine and selected alternative analgesics and antitussives per time period: 2.1. In relation to all children in the database during the same time period. 2.2. Stratified by age group (0-11 years and 12-17 years) and gender.