§ Mr. Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in his current consideration of the proposal by the Medicines Commission to introduce child-resistant packaging for non-prescription medicines, he and his officials have studied the results of such measures adopted in the United States of America and Canada; and what conclusions have been reached.
§ Dr. OwenYes. The requirement of child-resistant packaging for non-prescription medicines applies in the United States only to aspirin and in Canada only to children's aspirin. In both countries reports indicate a substantial reduction in the number of cases of aspirin poisoning of children since the requirement was introduced. In this country a similar requirement already applies to children's aspirin and paracetamol, and representative bodies are about to be consulted on its proposed extension to other solid-dose forms of aspirin and paracetamol.