Medicine - Keeping Medicine Out of Reach of Children
By Hilary Basile
When checking to make sure that medicine is out of reach of children, it's crucial to take a journey of your home with a fine-tooth comb... on your hands and knees. Crawling around your home will enable you to view things from your child's perspective. Following is a safety inspection for medicine contained in your home.
- Make sure medicine is stored in an upper cabinet, like one over the refrigerator, or one that is locked at all times.
- Refrain from disposing of medicine in the garbage. Check with your local pharmacist for a local collection program.
- Ensure that vitamins, pain relievers and other medicines are not left out on counters.
- Secure your refrigerator with a child safety lock if medicines are stored in there.
- Check to see if pills have accidentally fallen on the floor, or under a bed where a child could get to it.
- Make sure family members or guests don’t leave vitamins or medicine on nightstands which are easily accessible to children.
- Make sure medicine stored in a closet is locked at all times.
- Move diaper bags and guest bags to a higher ground where a child could not get into them in the event they contain medicine.
- Make sure medicine bottles have child-resistant caps.
- Use medicines contained in blister packs, when possible, as these are hard for children to open.
- Keep liquid medicines in small volumes in child-proof containers.
- Clean out the medicine cabinet periodically and throw away outdated medicines.
- Dispose of old medicines by pouring them down the drain or toilet only if it is environmentally-safe to do so.
- Rinse medicine containers prior to disposing of them.
- Refer to medications by their proper names and explain that they must be taken in prescribed dosages.
- Avoid taking medication in front of children so they don’t attempt to repeat what they’ve seen.
- Avoid drinking medicine from a bottle to prevent taking an incorrect dosage.
Medicines should be kept out of reach of children and stored in a locked area if possible.
Hilary Basile is a writer for http://www.myguidesusa.com At MyGuidesUSA.com, you will find valuable tips and resources for handling life’s major events. Whether you’re planning a wedding, buying your first home, anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, contending with a divorce, searching for a new job, or planning for your retirement, you’ll find answers to your questions at MyGuidesUSA.com.
Find parenting tips and resources at http://www.myguidesusa.com/becomingaparent
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