Smart Safety - Medication Safety Tips

 I recently had a chance to interview Maribeth Sivilus Lovegrove, Health Scientist, Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about medication safety. Here are her answers.

What factors contribute to the increase in accidental melatonin ingestion?

 

One of the primary contributors to the increase in emergency department (ED) visits for accidental melatonin ingestions by young children is likely the substantial increase in use of melatonin in recent years for adults as well as children in the United States. In this study, we analyzed data from 2019-2022 and found that there were approximately 11,000 ED visits for accidental melatonin ingestions by young children during the 4-year period, accounting for 7% of all ED visits for accidental medication ingestions by children aged 5 or younger in the United States. Many of those incidents involved ingestion of flavored products like gummies and chewable tablets that are frequently used by and might appeal to young children. In addition, melatonin products do not require child-resistant packaging, although child-resistant packaging can be voluntarily used. Among the ED visits with documentation of the container type, approximately three-quarters involved melatonin accessed from bottles, which suggests that young children either opened the bottles or that the bottles were not properly closed by caregivers.  There may also be a greater presumption of safety with melatonin and other supplements because they are available without a prescription and some, like melatonin, are marketed as natural products – and so caregivers may not be as careful about keeping these products up and away from young children. This is something that can be assessed in a future study.     

 

What do adults need to do to make sure kids stay safe?

 

A good first step is to look around your home and think of all the places that medicines and supplements are kept.  Many households have a primary storage location (like a medicine cabinet), but it’s important to think of other places that may contain medicines (like countertops or bedside tables, drawers, or purses and other bags) – and to make sure that all medicines and supplements (including those in gummy form) are kept up and away and out of sight and reach of young children. Many medicines and supplements can look like candy, and it can be difficult for young children (and even adults) to tell the difference. It is important to teach young children about medication safety and why you, or another trusted caregiver, must be the one to give them their medicines.  If purchasing melatonin, parents and caregivers of young children may want to select products with child-resistant packaging (for instance, bottles that have child safety caps). While safety caps are not “child-proof”, they are intended to delay children from getting into the container – and so it’s also important to keep all medicines and supplements up and away and out of sight and reach of young children.

 

Here are a few additional tips:

• Keep all medicines, vitamins, and other supplements (including gummies) in a safe location that is too high for young children to reach or see.
• Never leave medicines or supplements out on a kitchen counter or at a sick child’s bedside, even if you must give the medicine again in a few hours.
• Always relock the safety cap on a medicine bottle. If it has a locking cap that turns, twist it until you hear the “click” or until you can’t twist anymore.
• Tell children what medicine is and why you or another trusted caregiver must be the one to give it to them.
• Never tell children medicine is candy, even if they don’t like to take their medicine.
• Remind babysitters, houseguests, and visitors to keep purses, bags, or coats that have medicines in them up and away and out of sight when they’re in your home.
• Call Poison Help at 800.222.1222 right away if you think your child might have gotten into a medicine, vitamin, or other supplement (including gummies) even if you are not completely sure.

 

To find more tips visit: UpAndAway.org

 

How can families make sure that they are also talking to relatives they may frequently visit about medication safety?

 

When visiting friends and relatives, or hosting them in your home, it’s important to make sure that medicines are kept up and away and out of sight and reach of young children. For adults who are not frequently around children, keeping their medicines up and away may not always be top of mind, and so having a conversation about safe medication storage can help ensure that everyone has a safe and fun visit.    

• Remind friends and relatives to keep all medicines, vitamins, and other supplements (including gummies) up and away in a place young kids can’t see or reach. Suggest safe places like a high cabinet or a high closet shelf.
• It’s easy for pills to fall on the ground and roll out of sight. Remind friends and relatives that sweeping or vacuuming the floor before a visit can keep kids (and pets!) safe.
• Many people carry medicine on the go. Encourage friends and relatives to keep medicines in child-resistant containers inside their purse or bag — and then keep the bag in a place kids can’t see or reach.