Child medicine fears

SIR – There is a major potential for adverse effects upon the health of infants, children and young people from possible changes to regulation of medicines consequent upon Britain leaving the European Union.

Infants, children and young people are not small adults. They have distinct needs in relation to the development and testing of medicines. This is because their disease processes often differ from adults’, as do the ways in which they absorb and metabolise medicines.

In recent decades their situation has steadily improved as a result of a strong European regulatory framework that includes incentives to the pharmaceutical industry to develop products specifically for their needs. As Brexit approaches, there is a growing concern that this hard-won position will be jeopardised.

Loss of paediatric regulation would also diminish the strong standing of the United Kingdom as a location for children’s medicines research.

The priority should be for infants, children and young people in Britain to have timely, low-cost access to safe medicines, developed for their needs. We therefore urge the Government and parliamentarians to ensure that the UK remains within the European Medicines Regulatory System. Professor Neena Modi

President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Dr Helen Sammons

Chair, Rcpch-neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group Medicines Committee

London WC1