Medication storage

Well, its obvious isn’t it? Common sense tells you to store your medications up out of reach.  It’s what we all do, but poisonings happen easier than you may think.  The following are scenarios that I have seen in the paediatric emergency dept.

(one of the departments where I work).  All had smart, responsible parents and all were avoidable accidents.

 

~Are your medications high enough?  Meds that you think are stored in a cupboard out of reach, may be reachable with the assistance of a chair.  Kids that can move furniture or climb onto kitchen benchtops are at risk. Even if your child has never climbed up on a chair before, there is always a first time.  Consider a lockable container if your high spaces are limited.

 

~Keep an eye on visitors handbags (or have a specific safe spot for visitors to put their bags).  I have seen countless children in hospital after eating some tablets that they found in Nanna’s handbag, while she was over for a visit.

 

~keep in mind that other peoples houses may not be childproof.  Watch your children more carefully when at someone elses house.

 

~Get into the habit of putting meds away as soon as you have poured your dose.  Yes it may be 3am. But if your child gets out of bed 5 minutes before you do, that bottle may be empty before you know it.

 

~Beware of medications in cars.  This one happened to me (yes, even when you know all the rules and theory, these things happen).  I had ½ a strip of panadol in my car console.  My kids were outside playing while I was preparing dinner, 36 weeks pregnant and watching them ran back and forth past the kitchen window.  My 3 ½ year old daughter went quiet (I was just about to wash my hands and check on her) and at the same time her twin brother came inside with a tablet in his hand saying “what’s this mummy?” and when I went to check on her, found her chewing on tablets. If you must have meds in the car, lock them in your glove box- lesson learnt the hard way for me.  I certainly didn’t feel like mum of the year after that one.  I realised that she was  only copying me (as i had been chewing on a lot of mylanta during my pregnancy).

 

~Some medications require refrigeration.  If you have no means of locking meds in your fridge, hide them in another container at the back of the fridge.

 

~ear drops and eye drops, prescription and non prescription creams, also need to be treated as potential poisons.

 

Teaching your children about medication

~Children are curious creatures and will want to know what medication is, and why they have to take it (or why you are taking it).  Tell them the truth in language they can understand.

~NEVER EVER tell your child that tablets are lollies.  Some are colourful and are attractive to young children, and calling them lollies will only encourage your child to eat them if found.

~Tell your child straight out: “This is medicine, you don’t ever touch medicine unless mummy or daddy tells you to”. Also add “Medicine helps you feel better when you are sick, but if you are not sick, taking medicine can MAKE you sick”.

~Teach your child that if they ever found a tablet, to bring it straight to you and tell you where they found it.

 

~If your child has had an accidental poisoning, ring your poisons hotline for advice and be sure to take the medication foil strip/box/container with you to the hospital.  It is easier for the staff to see how much of the medication may have been taken and the ingredients and strength of the medication is also important.  If your child starts having symptoms that concern you (seizures, excessive vomiting, confusion, breathing difficulties etc.), call an ambulance immediately.