Take the key and lock 'em up

I'm talking about medicine bottles. I just saw a blurb in a recent issue of Fairfield Parent about the new MedSafe, "a first-of-its-kind electronic lockbox...to help parents safely and conveniently store prescription medications and keep their children safe." It holds up to 15 (standard) bottles of prescription medicine. (Bottles for liquid medicine would probably change that number.) Good to know that if your child figures out the combination, there are over 19, 000 changeable ones (yikes, another password to remember with mommy brain)! Affix it to the inside of any medicine cabinet (a medicine cabinet within a medicine cabinet?) or store it in a dresser drawer, kitchen cabinet, or closet. Personally, I'm content with storing my family's medicines on a high shelf where even I need to tiptoe to reach.

While MedSafe looks like a good idea, it does not replace education. Begin explaining early in a child's life that medicine is not candy or food. Try to avoid taking medicine in front of children. Mimicry is amazing to watch, but it could be deadly if children have access to your medicine. Oh, and if you do decide to get the safe, please don't store your child's epinephrine pen or other emergency items in there! Precious seconds might be lost from trying to remember the key.

What medicines is your child on?

Ever feel annoyed because everyone seems to be asking the same questions about your child's medicines, and your anxiety level is already high because your child is so sick? Can you even remember everything right now?

Do you have an index card or document listing all of the medicines (prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal) medicines that your child is on? Are all the doses and number of times the medicine is given accurate? How long has your child been taking them? Have you any idea why your child is taking the medicine? Is your child's weight (in kilograms and pounds) current? Do you know if your child is up-to-date with all of the routine childhood vaccinations? Can you remember which doctor prescribed a particular medicine (for example, allergist prescribed montelukast [Singulair(R)]).

It's a good idea to keep track of this information and have it handy in one place so that your child's doctor, pharmacist, hospital, or other health care workers can avoid medication errors. These can include prescribing a medicine your child is already taking or prescribing the wrong dose because your child has not been weighed in a year.

Watch this recent news segment for tips on how to give medicines safely in children. The Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group (PPAG) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) have great lists that parents can complete and print out. ASHP's list can be completed online prior to printing. Google Health is another way to keep track of this information. No matter which list you choose, make sure you review and update the information several times a year, or when changes are made. This will save you time and agony, especially when there is an unexpected visit for urgent care. Then you won't feel like a broken record.