New FDA Study Shows Increased Child Poisonings From Cough Medicine
Calls to poison control due to overdoses of the cough suppressant benzonatate (sold under the brand name Tessalon) have been rising in recent years as prescriptions for the drug have increased, according to a new study from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).The number of overdoses is climbing in children under 5, who accidentally ingest the drug, and in kids 10 years and older who misuse the cough suppressant on purpose; the findings were published in the December 2022 issue of Pediatrics, published online November 15.“The most significant finding in our study is that drug safety considerations extend beyond the safe and appropriate use of prescription medication,” says the lead author, Ivone Kim, MD, a senior physician at the FDA. “Accessibility to benzonatate at home may present a risk for…