Poison Prevention

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Accidental poisoning from medicine can and does occur. Prevent poisoning in your home by following these safety tips:

• Store medicines in a safe place out of children's sight and reach, preferably in a locked cabinet.
• Date medicines and discard those that are past their expiration or "beyond use" date.
• Clean out your medicines periodically. As medicines grow old, their chemicals may change causing unexpected reactions in the body. In general, medicines that do not have an expiration date should not be kept for more than one year.
• Take only medicines prescribed for you, and give medicines only to those for whom they are prescribed. A medicine that worked well for one person may harm another.
• Keep all medicines in their original containers with their labels intact. The label contains valuable information for taking the medicine properly. Also, in case of accidental poisoning, it is important to know the ingredients in a drug product and any emergency instructions form the manufacturer. While prescription medicines usually do not list ingredients, information on the label makes it possible for your pharmacist to identify the contents.
• Do not trust your memory. Read the label before using the medicine and take as directed.
• Wear your corrective lenses (glasses or contacts) when taking or giving medicines.
• Be sure there is enough light to see clearly when taking or giving medicines.
• If a medicine container has no label, or if you are not certain what it says, do not use it.
• If children live with or visit you, request child-resistant caps from the pharmacy.