Communities That Care

Posted on July 27, 2010

Take Preventative Steps With Prescriptions

From www.LockYourMeds.org:

Quite frequently young people merely open the medicine cabinet and there before them is a variety of drugs available for the taking: pain pills for post surgery; sleeping pills from an overseas plane trip; cough medicine from last season’s flu.  For parents, the time to act is now, as you are key to your child’s drug free future.  Take the following preventative steps:

REMOVE drugs from your medicine cabinet and hide them, lock them up or take them out of your house.

SAFEGUARD all medicines that have to remain at home by monitoring quantities and controlling access.

TAKE INVENTORY by writing down the names and amounts of medications you currently have and regularly check to see if anything is missing.If your child is on prescribed medication, monitor the dosages and refills.

SET CLEAR RULES, such as not sharing and always following proper dosages.

WARN your youngsters that taking prescription or OTC drugs without a doctor’s supervision can be just as dangerous and potentially lethal as taking street drugs.

SUPERVISE YOUR CHILD’S INTERNET use:  many pharmacy sites are not regulated and will sell your child medications without prescriptions.

PROPERLY DISPOSE of old, expired, or unused medicines in the trash.  Call for local “take-back” collection information.  DO NOT flush medications down the drain or toilet, unless the label indicates it is safe to do so.

TAKE THE PLEDGE to protect your child and spread the word.

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