FAQs

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Why do we need a Scottish Medicines for Children Network (SCMN)?
To help Scottish doctors, nurses, chemists (pharmacists), scientists and people who make medicines. We want to help them make better use of medicines that are used for children, not just in Scotland but around the world.
What will the network do?
  1. Work with children and their parents to improve the ways medicines are used in children.
  2. Make sure that work on medicines is always done safely and in ways that children are happy with.
  3. Help Doctors, Children's Nurses, Chemists (Pharmacists) and people who make medicines in the testing of medicines for children.
  4. Work with other people in the UK and in other countries.
  5. Work with companies that make medicines so that medicines for children work well and that they are safe and easy to take.
Who pays for the SMCN?
Money for the NHS comes from adults who pay tax. The SMCN gets some money from the Scottish NHS and some money from the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) of the Scottish Executive (Government)
How will anyone be able to work out if SMCN is worth it?
One way will be to see how many children help with the work of the network; another way will be how many children's medicines have been worked on.
How long has the network been working and how long is it going to last?
The agreement with the Scottish NHS and the CSO was made in April 2006 with a plan to last 3 years (to the end of March 2009). SMCN will go on after this if it can show how it has helped children and the way that medicines are used in children.
Where is the network based?
At the moment the network has people working in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. As the network grows we hope to have more people working in other parts of Scotland.
More information on each of the network centres can found on the website (https://www.scotmcn.org)
If my child and I were interested in taking part in studies of medicines how do we do this?
Leave your name address and full contact details with us (email secretariat@scotmcn.org) letting us know how you would like help us.