AHS advises public to take precautions to prevent medication poisonings
It’s Poison Prevention Week (March 17-23), and Alberta Health Services (AHS) is reminding Albertans to keep kids safe and prevent medication poisonings.
Children are curious about the world around them. If medications are within their reach, children may play with the bottle or try to taste colourful or flavoured medications. Their curiosity, smaller size and lower body weight can put them at higher risk for poisoning.
Last year, more than one in three calls to Alberta’s Poison Centre were regarding children zero to five years of age. Many of these calls involved acetaminophen and ibuprofen. While these medicines are safe when used as recommended for treating common aches, pains and fevers, they can be harmful if taken incorrectly.
There are things you can do as a parent or caregiver to help keep children safe:
When giving medication:
- Give only the amount indicated on the prescription label, or for non-prescription medication, on the medicine’s outer label.
- Follow the schedule for your children’s medication to give them the right amount of medication at the right time.
- Do not use more than one medicine containing acetaminophen or ibuprofen at the same time.
- Talk to your child’s healthcare provider for additional questions about medication dosing.
When storing medication:
- Keep all medications locked up tight, out of sight and reach of children.
- Always put the medicine away after using it.
- Visitors may carry medications with them. Keep their coats and bags out of reach of children.
- Keep medications in their original child-resistant containers.
Other household items — such as laundry detergent pods, essential oils, hand sanitizers and toothpaste — can also be poisonous if ingested or used incorrectly. Store cannabis products, e-cigarettes, tobacco products and vitamins with the same precautions as medications.
If you are concerned that someone has been poisoned:
Call 911 or PADIS at 1-800-332-1414.
Parachute’s Poison Prevention Week is an annual initiative recognized by the University of Alberta’s Injury Prevention Centre , Poison and Drug Information Centre (PADIS),and various community partners.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait times, improving Emergency Medical Services (EMS) response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.
Vanessa Gomez
AHS Communications
