National Poison Prevention Week was established by Congress in 1961 to raise awareness, reduce unintentional poisonings, and promote poison prevention. It is recognized every third week of March. Poison Prevention Week is sponsored by the National Poison Prevention Week Council. Each year, the Council holds a children's artwork contest to raise awareness about poisons. Additionally, poison centers across the country conduct activities to raise awareness of the dangers of poisoning.
Since the majority of our team are pharmacists, we are huge supporters of Poison Prevention Week as it relates to keeping prescription medications safe. It's important to know as much as possible about your medicines to prevent poisonings. Here are our tips!
1. Know Your Medicines
• Know the names, reason for use, and possible side effects of all of your medicines
• Review all your medicines with your doctor or pharmacist. Do this at least once a year, or when you start using a new medicine.
• Know how and when to use your medicine, how much to use, and for how long. Never use more medicine than prescribed. Using more does not mean you will get better faster. Also, using too much medicine can poison you.
2. Keep a Current Medicine List
• Bring a list of all the medicines you are using to your doctor’s appointments.
• This includes all prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
3. Keep ALL Medicines Locked Up and Out of Children’s Reach
• No container is 100% child-proof
• Store your medicines in a safe place so that children cannot get to them. This will prevent accidental poisonings.
Call Poison Help (1-800-222-1222) if you think:
• A medicine was not taken as directed.
• Too much medicine was taken by accident
For more information, check out the Health Resources & Services Administration's website.
Use this year's Poison Prevention Week to educate yourself and your family about how to stay safe and be prepared for accidental poisoning.
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