HAPPY&HEALTHY Kids’ health
7 tips and tricks that’ll save you time and money when shopping for kids’ stuff at the drugstore. BROWSING THE PHARMACY AISLE can make a parent’s head spin. The multitude of options for things like pain relief, sunscreen and first aid is overwhelming, and it can be hard to know you’re purchasing the best thing for you kid—and not buying something you don’t need. Keep these tips in mind the next time you’re shopping.
1. DON’T BE AFRAID OF STORE BRANDS Well-known brands will catch your eye, but store-brand versions of medications like Tylenol and Advil have the same active ingredient (acetaminophen and ibuprofen, respectively) and usually cost anywhere
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todaysparent.com November+December 2021
2. THE RIGHT FORMULATION MATTERS... Buying different versions of medications for every member of the family will clutter up your medicine cabinet, but it’s essential for things like pain and fever meds, allergy treatments and anti-nauseants, since these are all formulated for kids’ ages and weights, says Calgary paediatrician Peter Nieman. The same goes for vitamins—it’s important to buy the ones marked “children’s.” 3. ...EXCEPT WHEN IT DOESN’T On the other hand, when it comes to sunscreen, it’s not essential that you opt for the one that says “kids” (a handy thing to know when the adult version is on sale and the kids’ version is regular price!).
ILLUSTRATION: RYAN SNOOK
A new parents’ guide to the pharmacy aisle
from $2 to $4 less. “In Canada, we have good quality control. They are similar products and they’re going to have similar efficacy,” says Grant Anderson, a pharmacist in Rocky Mountain House, Alta. Anderson says he often recommends the generic option to parents in his store. “The only thing that might be different is the filler or how they’re made.”
