15 Habits of Healthy Families

Do you stow your medicine in the bathroom? If so, it’s time to relocate. According to the National Institutes of Health, this popular storage spot is one of the worst places to keep your at-home remedies. The warm, humid environment speeds drugs’ breakdown processes and makes them less potent. Instead, store your meds in a cool, dry spot out of a child’s reach. (Since kids can climb step stools, keeping meds locked away is always smart.) Among children, ER visits for accidental medication poisonings are twice as common as poisonings from other household products, such as cleaning products, according to a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Another key to drug safety is proper dosing: Use only the measuring device supplied; never give a child an adult medicine; don’t give cough and cold medicine to children who are 2 years old or younger; and consult your pharmacist with any drug-related questions — whether OTC, prescription or supplement.

Reviewed by Elaine Brown, MD on November 8, 2013

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