Antonine Dodson got it right by educating people to “hide your kids, hide your wives, hide your husbands.”  But to keep more kids safe, I want to tell you about one more thing to hide…”Hide your medications!” 

According to Safe Kids USA:  “Each year more than 60,000 children are treated in emergency departments due to accidental medication poisoning. That’s about 165 kids – or roughly four school busloads of children – per day.”

Its everyone’s responsiblity to keep kids safe! If you are a parent, grandparent, babysitter, caregiver, or just a friend you can help decrease the chance of accidental medication poisoning in kids.

Here are some tips for medication safe storage:

• Store your medications in places that are out of reach for kids.
• Never leave medication in your purse, or out on the counter for connivence.
• Educate kids that medicine is “not candy!”
• Do not refer to kids medications as “yummy candy.”
• Close all child proof lids all the time.
• Put medications in locked cabinets out of kids sites.

• Make sure you follow the directions on the package.
• If you are unsure about a child’s dose of medication contact their doctor or pharmacy.
• Put the Poison Control Center phone number in your phone 1-800-222-1222.
• Don’t give your child multiple medications with the same active ingredients. (ex:acetaminophen is in a lot of different medications. To much acetaminophen can hurt your child.)
• Keep medications in their original packages so you can read the labels.
• Wait the full amount of time between doses.
• Never increase the dose of medication because you think the child is sicker.
• Don’t use medications after they have expired.
• Measure medicine with medical syringes or cups, not kitchen utensils.

Let’s not be as Antonine puts it… “So Dumb! For Real! ”  We can all avoid a very preventable problem by remembering medication safe storage & safe dosing!

Find out more great safety tips by visiting  http://www.safekids.org.

Tara Arnold, RN