Check the exact medicine and leaflet before giving it to your child.

Medicines in Malta are dispensed only from pharmacies, and prescription status and age limits depend on the specific product. Use its Malta leaflet and ask a pharmacist when unsure.

Check the exact product and its instructions

Common medicines parents may ask about include children’s paracetamol or ibuprofen products, but whether a specific medicine is prescription-only depends on that product. In Malta, medicines are dispensed only from pharmacies. Check the Malta Medicines Authority’s search for the exact product or ask a pharmacist; do not assume another product with a familiar brand or similar ingredient has the same status. For more on the product-by-product rule, see What Can You Buy Over the Counter in Malta?

Read the leaflet for the exact medicine, formulation and strength before giving it. It explains how much and how often to use the product, when not to use it, warnings and storage. Malta-authorised product leaflets can be found through the Medicines Authority’s medicine search.

Choosing and measuring a child’s medicine

Do not transfer a dose from another product or strength. Check the exact label and use the measuring device supplied with the medicine, rather than a kitchen teaspoon. NHS guidance also advises checking with a pharmacist or doctor if you are unsure. For children’s medicines, see Panadol & Nurofen in Malta for product-by-product information.

As general guidance, the NHS says paracetamol may be used from 2 months of age and ibuprofen from 3 months for children weighing more than 5 kg. These are not universal Malta product instructions: the exact leaflet may set different conditions. Ask a pharmacist or doctor about an infant or a child with other health conditions.

NHS guidance says to seek professional advice before giving ibuprofen to a child with asthma, and not to give it when the child is dehydrated or has chickenpox. It also advises not to alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen unless a health professional recommends it, and not to give aspirin to a child under 16 unless prescribed by a doctor. These are general NHS cautions; check the Malta product leaflet and ask a clinician about your child’s circumstances.

Cough and cold medicines: check the ingredient and age guidance

Malta Medicines Authority circular P06/2009 gives guidance for over-the-counter cough-and-cold medicines containing specified ingredients: it says they should not be given to children under 6 unless prescribed; for ages 6–12, it describes them as second-line care and limits use to no more than 5 days. This is ingredient-specific guidance from a 2009 circular, not one age rule for every cough-and-cold product. Check the current leaflet for the exact product and ask a Malta pharmacist or doctor before giving one to a child.

There is an important difference between official circulars still available online: the Authority’s earlier P04/2008 circular gives a general under-2 threshold, while its later P06/2009 update gives the under-6 guidance for specified ingredients and advice for ages 6–12. The circulars are old, so do not use the earlier statement as a current blanket age rule; confirm the exact medicine and current instructions with a Malta pharmacist. The European Medicines Agency’s final 2015 decision is clear: codeine-containing medicines for cough or cold must not be used in children under 12. Check the active ingredient, not just the brand name.

The Authority’s earlier cough-and-cold circular also warns against giving a child more than one cough-and-cold medicine at the same time, because different brands may contain the same ingredient. Keep that warning scoped to cough-and-cold products, and ask a pharmacist if you are unsure what the products contain.

If your child may have taken too much

Call Malta’s National Poisons Centre on 1774 promptly if your child may have taken too much medicine or had another potentially harmful exposure. The Centre says its helpline is open every day, including Sundays and public holidays, from 08:00 to 20:00. Have details ready about the medicine or substance, the amount and time, and your child’s age and weight. When the helpline is closed, the Centre advises going to a health centre or Emergency Department, depending on severity. For information about access to medicines when a pharmacy is closed, see Need Medicine After Hours in Malta?

When to get urgent medical help in Malta

NHS guidance calls for urgent medical advice if a baby under 3 months has a temperature of 38°C or higher, or a baby aged 3–6 months has 39°C or higher; it also advises seeking help if you think a baby in either age group has a high temperature even without a reading. Those are NHS thresholds, not Malta-specific triage rules. In Malta, contact a doctor promptly or call Primary Healthcare’s 24-hour telemedicine service on 21231231 or 21222444 for medical guidance. Difficulty breathing, being hard to wake, a first seizure and a rash that does not fade when pressed require emergency action: call 112, not the non-emergency service.

For severe breathing difficulty, unconsciousness or another life-threatening emergency, call 112 immediately. For non-life-threatening concerns about a child, Malta Primary Healthcare lists 24-hour telemedicine through 21231231 or 21222444. The Ministry’s 1400 page says that service is intended for patients aged 16–75 and directs people outside that range to Primary Healthcare.

Questions people ask

Can I use the same dose for a different brand of children’s medicine?

Do not assume so. Check the leaflet for the exact product, formulation and strength, and ask a pharmacist if you are unsure.

Can I alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen for my child?

NHS guidance says not to alternate them unless a health professional advises it. Check the Malta product leaflet and ask a pharmacist or doctor about your child’s situation.

What should I do if my child seems fine after a possible overdose?

Call Malta’s National Poisons Centre on 1774 promptly during its listed helpline hours, 08:00 to 20:00 daily. If the helpline is closed, follow the Centre’s advice to go to a health centre or Emergency Department depending on severity.

Is there one age limit for all cough-and-cold medicines in Malta?

No single age rule in the cited Authority guidance covers every product. Its later 2009 circular gives advice for products containing specified ingredients, while product leaflets and other ingredient-specific notices can differ. Check the exact medicine and ask a Malta pharmacist or doctor.

Sources

• Malta Medicines Authority — Non-prescription and prescription-only medicines
• Malta Medicines Authority — Package leaflets
• NHS — Medicines for babies and children
• NHS — High temperature (fever) in children
• Malta Medicines Authority — Circular P04/2008
• Malta Medicines Authority — Circular P06/2009
• European Medicines Agency — Codeine not to be used in children below 12 years for cough and cold
• Malta National Poisons Centre — General FAQs
• Malta Ministry for Health — What is the 1400 Helpline?
• Malta Primary Healthcare — Telemedicine

General information, not individual medical advice. Confirm medicine classification and suitability with a pharmacist or healthcare professional.