The Paediatric Injectable Guidelines began over 20 years ago as a locally produced guide to paediatric injectable medication administration for staff of The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), Melbourne. Since then it has grown in size, stature and audience, to now be a nationally recognised, authoritative reference. It aims to assist Australian health professionals in the safe and effective administration of injectable medicines in children. It does not intend to provide guidance on paediatric dosing or administration of medicines in adults.

The Paediatric Injectable Guidelines are compiled and edited by experienced paediatric pharmacists at the RCH using information from a variety of sources. The medicines in this guideline are those that have been, or may be, used at the RCH. Blood products, anaesthetics and vaccines are not included. Inclusion of a medicine in this guideline is not an endorsement of its use by the RCH. The RCH is a tertiary paediatric teaching hospital and the use of medicines at the RCH may not be within the scope of practice of other hospitals and health services.

The Paediatric Injectable Guidelines should be used in conjunction with local hospital formularies, policies, procedures and protocols. Users should exercise independent professional judgement and consider the individual clinical situation when using this and other publications.

Paediatric Injectable Guidelines hard copy book is published every 2 years and the online version is updated twice yearly, details available at pig.rch.org.au. Users are advised to subscribe to the website’s mailing list to be notified of clinical updates. This publication aims to reflect current practice. Feedback and suggestions are always welcome, please use our feedback form or send your correspondence to pharmacy.business@rch.org.au.