Medication safety; Poison control - medicine safety
Every year, many children are brought to the emergency room because they took medicine by accident. A lot of medicine is made to look and taste like candy. Children are curious and attracted to medicine.
Most children find the medicine when their parent or caregiver is not looking. You can prevent accidents by keeping medicine locked up, out of reach, and out of sight. Be very careful if you have toddlers around.
Safety tips:
If you think your child has taken medicine, call the poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. It is open 24 hours a day.
Go to the nearest emergency room. Your child may need:
When giving medicine to your young child, follow these safety tips:
Contact the provider if:
American Academy of Pediatrics: healthy children.org website. Medication safety tips for families. www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/medication-safety/Pages/Medication-Safety-Tips.aspx. Updated October 21, 2021. Accessed December 14, 2022.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Put your medicines up and away and out of sight. www.cdc.gov/patientsafety/features/medication-storage.html. Updated June 10, 2020. Accessed December 14, 2022.
US Food & Drug Administration website. Where and how to dispose of unused medicines. www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines. Updated April 21, 2021. Accessed December 14, 2022.
BACK TO TOPReview Date: 10/22/2022
Reviewed By: Charles I. Schwartz, MD, FAAP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, General Pediatrician at PennCare for Kids, Phoenixville, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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06/01/2025
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