[Submitted by Police Chief Rob Lawson] A study discussing the dramatic increase in the number of children being poisoned by unintentionally ingesting medications was published online in the Journal of Pediatrics.  This study shows that in recent years, the number of unintentional poisonings in children has significantly increased.  These poisonings have resulted in increased emergency room visits. 

The study revealed that children are getting into medications they find around their home and the homes of friends and relatives.  Medications are easily accessible because generally speaking, most people leave them on top of kitchen countertops, night stands, dressers, and in unlocked medicine cabinets and pocketbooks.  Dr. Steven Marcus, Executive and Medical Director of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System and Professor of Preventive Medicine and Community Health at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, recommends the following safety tips to prevent unintentional pediatric medication poisonings.   

• Remove all prescription and over-the-counter medicines from accessible medicine cabinets and other storage areas (bedside stands, kitchen cabinets, etc.) and LOCK THEM UP. 
• When friends and family visit, make sure all of their medications (prescription, non-prescription, herbal, vitamins and dietary supplements) are LOCKED UP.
• Child resistant caps are effective only if used correctly.  Be sure to replace caps tightly after using a medication.
• Make sure to properly discard medicines that are not being used.  Check expiration dates frequently on all over-the-counter and prescription medications kept in the home. Recent recommendations include combining expired or leftover medicines with used coffee grounds, kitty litter, or something else bad-tasting to children and animals. Place this in a coffee can with a lid, and discard with your household trash.

• Keep medicines (as well as vitamins and diet supplements) in original containers to reduce the chance of mistaking one pill for another. Do this at home AND when traveling.  It would be best to lock up all medications in a medication lockbox!

Keep the telephone number for the poison center easily available.  Program it into your telephones.  If you suspect a poisoning, call the NJ poison experts immediately at 1-800-222-1222 for treatment advice because an emergency room visit may be unnecessary. The hotline is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Remember, Help Is Just a Phone Call Away!