Establishment of the first Children's Drugs and Therapeutic Committee to
ensure evidence-based and cost-effective medical treatment for children
Abstract
Aim The prevalence of undocumented medical treatments among children is
a significant issue, as well as many EU countries lack access to newly
developed children friendly medicines. Consequently, there is a pressing
need for supplementary resources that can facilitate informed
decision-making regarding children’s medication. We therefore aim to
describe the process of establishing a children’s Drug and Therapeutics
Committee (cDTC), as well as the preparing and implementation of
recommendations for children in the Capital region of Denmark Method
Following the guidelines outlined by the World Health Organization a
cDTC was established. Recommendations for pediatric medication practice
were constructed from assessments of medication use patterns among
children in the Capital Region between 2019 and 2021. The
recommendations were meticulously crafted based on evaluation of the
current marketing authorization landscape and existing best available
evidence. Results In 2019, the Capital Region established the first cDTC
supported by expert councils and an editorial board. A total of 2.429
purchase item numbers covering 1.222.846 defined daily doses and 592.088
purchased packages covering 10.200.000 defined daily doses were
identified in the secondary and primary sectors, respectively. Three
comprehensive lists covering recommendations for newborns and children
were published between 2021 and 2020 totaling 331 recommended
pharmaceutical products. The recommendations primarily intended for use
in the secondary healthcare sector were implemented through the revision
of 38 pediatric- and 6 neonatal product ranges throughout Capital
region. Conclusion Recommendation lists for children governed by a cDTC
provide a rational auxiliary tool that can be immediately implemented in
the clinic.