Improving Medication Safety Following Neonatal Discharge: A Feasibility Study of a Parent Medication Education Intervention in Ireland

Aim Neonates discharged home on medications remain at risk of medication errors. The PADDINGToN programme previously developed parent co‐designed resources to support safer medication administration following discharge. The aim of this study, PADDINGToN‐2, is to evaluate the feasibility of recruiting and retaining parents in a study assessing these resources in order to support safer medication administration at home. Methods Prospective single‐centre feasibility study in a level 3 neonatal unit between March and December 2025. Parents of infants discharged on ≥ 2 medications were recruited before discharge, and followed for 12 weeks. Primary outcome was recruitment and retention using predefined progression criteria. Secondary outcomes included assessment of parental anxiety and confidence in medication administration. Results In all, 35 parents were recruited. Retention was 42.8%, meeting predefined ‘Amber’ progression criteria indicating feasibility with protocol modification. Anxiety scores decreased from a median of 9 at baseline to 5 at follow‐up. Conclusions Recruitment was feasible, and retention met predefined criteria, supporting progression to a larger multi‐centre implementation study with optimised retention strategies.