Medicine is made to help bodies feel better but if it’s taken at the wrong time or in the wrong dose, it can be deadly. To a curious child, medicine may look like candy. Follow a few rules to keep your children safe from the medications in your home:
- Keep medicine out or each and out of sight. It only takes a moment for an adventurous child to climb and reach a colorful bottle. It’s important to not only keep medicine out of reach but also out of sight. A locked cabinet is the best way to store medications.
- Child-resistant packaging is not child-proof. A child-resistant bottle may slow a child down but it’s still possible for a child to open. It’s important to put medicine away after every use, even if you take it regularly or will require another dose soon.
- Keep medicine safety on your child-proofing checklist. As your child grows you may find new ways to you need to child-proof your home. Even if you think your child is old enough to know better, don’t become casual about your medication storage.
- Save the Poison Help number in your phone. 1-800-222-1222. Specialists are available 24 hours a day. They are ready to help with emergencies or answer questions about different medications. Keep this number posted in your home in case of emergencies.
- Share medicine safety information with family and friends. Help friends and other caregivers know what to do in an emergency by sharing this information with them.
Find more tips at safekids.org/medicinesafety.
