II. Background
- Medication Poisonings are responsible for two-thirds of deaths in children under age 5 years old
- U.S. and Canadian restrictions in 2008 on OTC Medications for infants and children
- Has effectively reduced childhood Poisonings
III. Prevention: General
- Dispose of medications properly
- Adults should also Exercise caution to prevent their Accidental Ingestions
- Read medication bottles carefully to confirm the medication they are taking (and proper dose)
- Turn on the light when using toiletries (e.g. confirm toothpaste tube)
-
Exercise caution with unique medication schedules
- Estradiol patches one to twice weekly
- Fentanyl Patch every 3 days
- Risedronate 5 mg is daily, 35 mg weekly or 150 mg monthly
- Semaglutide oral is dosed daily, while subcutaneous form is dosed weekly
- Vitamin B12 Injection (Cyanocobalamin) daily to monthly
- Warfarin often varies, alternating doses every other day
- Methotrexate is dosed weekly
- FDA blackbox warning added in 2026 for lethality when taken daily
- When writing prescription instructions for dosing variation, note the specific day(s)
- Example: Take every tuesday (instead of take once weekly)
- Avoid using abbreviations when writing dosing frequency (write-out "three times daily" instead of TID)
- Review unique dosing instructions with patients at appointments
- Have them describe how they will specifically take the medication at home (e.g. frequency)
- Keep critical phone numbers by telephone (consider programming into telephone)
- Poison Control Center: 1-800-222-1212
IV. Prevention: Children
- Store all medications including pill boxes in a safe place after every time they are accessed
- See One Pill Can Kill
- Purses containing medications should also be kept safely away from toddlers and children
- Place medication containers on high shelves, out of a child's sight
- Do not rely on child-resistant medications as sole protection against Poisoning
- However, keep the medication containers closed tightly, preferably with child resistant caps
- Talk to children about danger of household products
- Medications, laundry pods and dish detergent pods, household cleansers are absolutely not candy
- Hand sanitizer contains >60% Alcohol and may result in Alcohol Poisoning in young children
- Keep cleaners and disinfectants in their original containers (never store in water or soda bottles)
- Dispose of Ipecac syrup if still in household
- No longer recommended (risk of harm such as aspiration, not helpful, and may delay definitive care)
V. Resources
- Poison Control
- https://www.poison.org/
- Phone: 1-800-222-1212
VI. References
- (2026) Presc Lett 33(9):7