Medsafe is restricting which cough medicines and cold medicines will be found on supermarket shelves. Parents shopping for cough or cold relief for children under 12 years will soon have to shop at a pharmacy for certain tablets and syrups containing ingredients found by UK and Australian regulators to have problematic side effects and safety concerns for some children, and which need to be used only after professional advice. Explaining the restrictions announced on 8 June 2010, Medsafe Group Manager Dr Stewart Jessamine says “By reclassifying products containing dextromethorphan, phenylephrine and ipecacuanha as pharmacy-only medicines, parents will now be able to get professional advice on how to use these medicines safely when they buy these products for their children.” Medicines containing these ingredients can remain in supermarkets provided they are relabelled for use in adults and children over 12 years old. Other oral cough and cold medicines that contain ingredients such as glycerol, guaiphenesin, honey, lemon and other natural substances will remain available in supermarkets for use in children over six years of age. These ingredients are used to relieve chesty coughs and are currently found in the Vicks and Lemsip range of products in supermarkets. Dr Jessamine says, “I would like to advise parents not to use over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for children under six years of age…If a parent is unsure of the best way to treat their child, they should seek advice from their GP or a healthcare professional.”