Safely Storing Medications At Home Can Help Prevent Overdoses In Children

Posted in Accident & Injury on November 20, 2017

Many people rely on medicine to keep them healthy. But when taken improperly, medications can have serious and potentially deadly effects. This is especially true in the case of children, who may access medications that are not properly stored.

Here are some tips to help prevent your children from accessing medications:

• Store all medications out of reach and out of sight of children. It is a good idea to have all medications stored in the same secure place. Consider all of the places medication might be stored – in your purse, in the cupboard, in a pocket, etc., and move them to one secure location.
• Safely store medication and other medical products: Not only is it important to safely store medications – it is also important to safely store all medical products such as ointments, sprays, syrups, vitamins, supplements, etc. All of these could be potentially dangerous for children.
• Tightly close pill bottles and containers: Most pill bottles are child-resistant, but only if they’re properly closed. However, just having your pill bottles properly closed does not mean that your children cannot access them. Make sure to store them in a safe spot, as well.
• Properly dispose of expired medications: Children can get their hands on medications that have not been properly disposed of. Different medications may need to be disposed of in different ways. Read the FDA’s recommendations for properly disposing unused medications.

Kids are curious and may be tempted to taste a medication because it looks like candy. We all know that this can have devastating effects.

Taking preemptive steps now can help prevent terrible accidents in the future. Keep your kids safe by properly storing and disposing of medications in your home.