With summer school and camps still in limited capacity as the coronavirus pandemic continues, kids may be spending more time at home this summer than usual. Therefore, you may need to take a few extra precautions to make sure your kids, friend’s children, or grandkids are safe at home. Accidental consumption of medication is one safety hazard to avoid with the following tips. About 50,000 young children go to the ER each year due to accidental ingestion of various medicines. Here’s what you need to know to prevent your child from becoming part of this statistic.
Keep all medicine out of reach
You might already exercise caution with prescription medications, but any vitamins, supplements, OTC medications, and ointments should also be out of kids’ reach. Children are naturally curious, and they tend to explore with all their senses. So, finding any type of medication can pose some danger. Use child-proof cabinet closures to safely store medications at home. Even better, store all medications and pharmaceuticals in cabinets that are too high for kids to access.
Don’t keep expired or unused medications at home
Old, expired medications are easy to forget about and leave in places where kids might find them. Do not throw away unused or expired medications in your household trash. Instead, bring any outdated medications to your local pharmacy for safe disposal. Most pharmacies offer a drop-box for this purpose.
Utilize safety caps
While keeping medications out of reach is ideal, safety caps add an extra line of protection. Most prescription and OTC medications have childproof caps, so use these containers as intended instead of storing medication in containers that are easy for anyone to access.
If your child needs urgent medical care outside of your pediatrician’s normal hours, MeMD can help you reach a medical provider right away for minor medical concerns. Visit us online to learn how our convenient, affordable telehealth services work.
