Properly storing your medicines
Safe storage of medicines is always important, but it is especially important when there are kids in the home 24/7. Kids are naturally curious and may find potentially harmful things like medicines if they are kept in places within their reach. Below are some tips to keep you and your family safe at home—and to keep you at home instead of in an emergency room. Put all medicines, including your own, up and away, out of reach and sight. Put medicine away after every use. Even if you or your child may need another dose in a few hours, resist the urge to keep the medicine handy. Put it safely away. Place purses and bags that may contain medicine in high locations and avoid leaving medicines on the kitchen counter, a nightstand, or dresser. Consider products you might not think about as medicines—health products such as vitamins, diaper-rash creams, eye drops, and even hand sanitizers can be harmful if kids get into them. Close your medicine caps tightly after each use. Choose child-resistant caps for medicine bottles when you can. And remember, child-resistant does not mean childproof. So, make sure you close the container tightly after each use and put the medicine up and away, out of reach and out of sight of children. Also remember that many daily pill organizers are not child-resistant. Taking the above precautions can help limit the chances of a child getting into medicine. But accidents do happen, so save the Poison Help number in your phone and post it visibly at home: 1-800-222-1222. Specialists at poison control centers provide free, confidential, expert medical advice 24/7. They can answer questions about how to give or take medicine and can help with poison emergencies. For more tips and resources on medicine safety for kids, visit SafeKids.org.