Prescription Drugs: Safety Tips for Parents
Get instant savings up to 75%
Download the Free PrescriptionDrugs.com Discount Drug Card
Print Card
Redeem for instant savings up to 75% on name brand
& generic prescription drugs
Accepted at over 60,000 pharmacies nationwide
Concerning safety tips for prescription drugs: Safe handling, storage, and dosage administration is an important part of a parent or caregivers responsibility. Contained in this article is valualble safety advice for adults and children, adapted from the American Association of Poison Control Center.
How to Avoid an Adverse Prescription Drugs Event
An adverse medicine event occurs when the body responds negatively to the ingestion of a drug. To reduce the risk of an adverse medicine event, adults should be cautious in storing drugs, prescriptions, and any other pills out of reach from small children, and always recap the bottle tightly. Always administer medicines as directed by the package label or a physician, and never administer more than the recommended dose of the prescription drugs. Safe handling, storage, and dosage administration is an important part of a parent or caregivers responsibility. Below are prescription drugs safety tips for adults and children, adapted from the American Association of Poison Control Center: How to avoid an adverse prescription drugs event An adverse medicine event occurs when the body responds negatively to the ingestion of a drug. To reduce the risk of an adverse medicine event, adults should be cautious in storing drugs, prescriptions, and any other pills out of reach from small children, and always recap the bottle tightly. Perhaps the most important of safety tips: Always administer medicines as directed by the package label or a physician, and never administer more than the recommended dose of the prescription drugs.
Further Safety Tips on Handling Drugs & Prescriptions
Every year an estimated 98,000 adolescents are given emergency care due to unsupervised ingestion of prescription drugs. For children under 5 years of age, unsupervised ingestions are the #1 cause for emergency room visits. Check to ensure the drugs & prescriptions are child resistant. Store medicines safely out of reach of children in a secured medicine cabinet, and never leave prescription drugs unattended. Should you be handling prescription drugs and need to attend to something else, take the medicine along with you. Small children must never be left unattended with or nearby prescription drugs.
Make sure you have the poison control number quickly at hand, 1-800-222-1222. Store the number on your cell phone and somewhere near your home telephone. Prescription drugs dosage & quantities for infants and toddlers Medicine administration to infants and toddlers should be handled more cautiously than prescription drugs for older children. Many emergency visits occur due to adults, unaware of proper drugs & prescriptions safety tips administering inappropriate dosages to infants and toddlers. Read package labels carefully and follow directions as instructed, consulting your doctor with any questions. Never give more than the suggested dosage of a prescription drugs.
Do not use a household kitchen utensil such as a teaspoon or tablespoon as a measuring device when administering prescription drugs to children. Use the dosing dropper, spoon, or cup included with the prescribed medicine. Be wary of the prescription drugs' active ingredients. Never administer multiple over-the-counter medicines with the same two active ingredients. If you do not understand the dosing device, instructions, or how to administer the drugs & prescriptions, do not use the medicine and contact your local pharmacist or physician. Following these safety tips can save lives.
Safety Tips to Prevent Drugs & Prescriptions Poisoning
Warning labels and directions should always be read carefully. Some medicines should never be taken alongside other prescription drugs. Medicines should be stored in their original container, and never shared with anyone other than the prescribed individual. Discard expired drugs, prescriptions, and pills that are no longer used, and keep the poison control number (1-800-222-1222) readily at hand, in case of an accidental poisoning.
To reduce the risk of harm from drugs & prescriptions, additional safety tips: make sure you store all medicines safely away from children, and read package labels meticulously. Safe handling, storage, and dosage precautions will reduce the chance of an adverse event due to drugs, prescriptions, or pills.
