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Medications: Using Them Safely

Giving your child medicine safely can be a complicated task. It may be frightening to give a young child certain medications knowing that too much or too little can cause serious side effects. Fortunately, though, with a little knowledge and a lot of double-checking, you can help treat your child's illness while you prevent dangerous reactions.

Using medications safely means knowing when they're necessary - and when they're not. Always check with the doctor if you're unsure whether your child's symptoms require medical treatment.

In many cases, non-medicinal treatments may be your child's best bet for a quick recovery, especially with mild cases of the flu or the common cold. Getting enough rest can help to boost the body's immune system and plenty of clear fluids such as water, juice, and broth will help your child avoid dehydration from body fluids lost through vomiting, diarrhea, perspiration, and nasal secretions.

If your child suffers from congestion and a stuffy nose, saline drops can thin nasal secretions. A cool-mist humidifier or a warm-air vaporizer keeps moisture in the air, helping to loosen your child's congestion. If you use a humidifier or vaporizer, though, be sure to clean it thoroughly every day because bacteria and mold can develop if it isn't kept clean and dry.

To ensure the safe use of prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, you should discuss your child's symptoms with your child's doctor and pharmacist. When it comes to giving your child medicines, you'll need to know:

• the name and purpose of the medication
• how much, how often, and for how long the medicine should be taken
• how the medicine should be administered (whether it should be taken by mouth; breathed into the lungs; inserted into the ears, eyes or rectum; applied to the skin; or injected into your child's bloodstream)
• any special instructions, like whether the medicine should be taken with or without food
• how the medicine should be stored
• how long the medicine can safely be stored before it needs to be discarded (asthma inhalers, for example)
• common side effects or reactions
• interactions with other medications your child may be taking
• what happens if your child misses a dose

Because the dosages of prescription and OTC medicines depend on your child's height and weight, make sure the doctor and pharmacist have updated information about your child's size. Too little medication can be ineffective and too much medication could be harmful to your child. Also, make sure the doctor and pharmacist know if your child has allergies or takes other medications regularly.

Sometimes medicines should be given on an as-needed basis (meaning they are given only when your child needs them for certain symptoms, such as pain or discomfort). For many medications, though, your child will need to finish all of the medicine as prescribed by the doctor - even if he or she begins to feel better before that. For example, antibiotics help to kill bacteria in the body, so it's important to finish all doses of prescribed antibiotics even after symptoms disappear because the infection can return if the antibiotic is stopped too early. But over-the-counter drugs that relieve symptoms like aches, pains, or fever (such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen) should only be taken as your doctor recommends.

Never give aspirin to children, especially during viral illnesses. Using aspirin during an illness caused by a virus (such as the flu, chickenpox, or an upper respiratory infection) can cause Reye syndrome, a potentially life- threatening disease with symptoms such as an enlarged liver, nausea, and extreme fatigue that progresses to a coma. Because some OTC medicines (including some that treat headache and nausea) contain aspirin, you should always read labels and check with your child's doctor before using OTC medicines. Also, be on the lookout for labels - some aspirin-containing medications have labels that use words other than aspirin (such as salicylate or acetylsalicylate), so avoid those medications, too.

Other tips for safe medication use:

• Don't try to diagnose your child's problem yourself. Always check with your child's doctor if you're unsure whether symptoms require medical treatment.
• Never use leftover medications to treat your child's symptoms. For example, pharmacists will sometimes dispense more liquid medication than is needed in case some is spilled or measured incorrectly.
• If you have liquid left over after your child has completed the course of treatment, throw it out. For medicines your child takes as needed, keep an eye on the expiration date to make sure you're not giving an outdated medication.
• Never give your child medications that have been prescribed to someone else, whether it's an adult or child. Even if two people have the same illness, they may require different drugs with different doses and directions.
• If you're purchasing OTC medications, check the medicine's packaging for possible tampering, and don't use medications in cut, torn, or sliced packages. Be sure to check the expiration date, too.
• Develop a relationship with a local pharmacist so that your child's medication history is in a central location. Feel free to ask your pharmacist any questions you may have about your child's medication, and don't hesitate to ask for more information about possible side effects or reactions.

Giving Medicine to Your Child

Once you've made it home with your child's medicine, you'll still need to take a few precautions. First, check to make sure you have the correct prescription. Many prescription and medicine bottles look the same, so make sure your child's name is on the label and it's the medicine that the doctor recommended or prescribed.\ Be especially careful when reaching into the medicine cabinet in the middle of the night - it's easy to grab the wrong bottle when you're sleepy.

Read All Instructions. Both prescription and OTC medications may come with printed inserts about common side effects and further instructions about how to take the medicine. Be sure to read all information carefully before beginning the medication, and call the doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about the instructions.

With or Without Food? All prescription medicines contain labels or instructions about how to take it. For example, "take with food or milk" means the medicine may upset an empty stomach or that food may improve its absorption. In this case, your child should eat a snack or meal right before or after taking the medication.

Another common instruction on prescription medicines is "take on an empty stomach," in which case your child should take the medicine 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal because food may prevent the medicine from working properly or may delay or reduce its absorption. Some medications interact only with certain foods or nutrients, such as dairy products, so be sure to check the label for any additional instructions.

The label may instruct you to shake a liquid medicine before using so that the active ingredients are evenly distributed throughout it.

The Right Dose. Giving your child the correct dose of medicine is important because most medicines need to be taken in a certain amount and at certain times to be effective. If your child has been prescribed medicine, the dose will be written on the prescription label. If you're giving your child an OTC medicine, the dose should be printed on the package insert, product box, or product label. In general, you should never give OTC medications to children younger than 2 years old without a doctor's OK.

There are a variety of ways to measure your child's medicine, and the best one depends on your child's age and willingness to take medicine. For babies who aren't yet able to drink from a cup, try a calibrated dosing syringe. Using a syringe, you can dispense the medication into your baby's mouth, making it less likely to be spit out. Be careful when using a syringe, though - many come with a small cap on the end that can be a choking hazard to young children. Store a medication syringe in a safe place out of the reach of your child.

Another option for giving medication to young babies and children is a plastic dropper. Your child may also be able to use a cylindrical dosing spoon, which comes with a long handle that makes it easier for children to grab. If your child can drink easily from a cup without spilling, the dosage cups that come with many medications may be useful. Now there are also medicine dispensers fashioned like pacifiers that have proved effective with infants and young toddlers. With these, you put the medicine in a small measuring cup attached to a pacifier, then give the pacifier to the baby to suck - most of the medicine slips past the taste buds, making the medication go down easily.

Never use tableware or a kitchen spoon to measure your child's medication because these utensils don't provide standard measurements. Instead, visit your local pharmacy or drugstore to find a measuring device designed to deliver accurate medication doses.

"But It Tastes Yucky!" Is your child balking at the idea of taking medicine? Try these tips to get kids to take their medications willingly:

• Some kids may prefer it if medications are chilled, but refrigeration may alter the effectiveness of some drugs. Check with your pharmacist to see if chilling your child's medicine is safe.
  
  
• Mixing your child's medicine with a small amount of liquid or soft food (such as applesauce or yogurt) may make it more palatable. Use only a small amount of food and make sure your child eats the entire portion to receive the complete dose of medication. You should also avoid mixing medication in a baby's bottle - the child may not receive the full dosage if he or she doesn't finish the bottle. Check with your pharmacist to make sure that the medication's effectiveness will not be altered by mixing it with food or liquid.
  
  
• If you're using a syringe, try squirting the medicine (a little bit at a time) on the inside of the child's cheek, where there are no bitter taste buds as on the back of the tongue.
  
  
• If your child has difficulty swallowing a tablet or capsule medication, you may be able to crush it and mix it with soft food (such as pudding). Always check with your child's pharmacist before doing so, however, because the effectiveness of some drugs may be compromised if they are crushed.
  
  
• Some grocery store and drugstore chains offer flavorings such as chocolate, cherry, grape, and bubblegum to make drugs like antibiotics and cough syrup more appealing to children. Only a small amount of flavoring is needed to disguise the taste. Although supporters say the better-tasting flavor may be an incentive for a child who has to take medication regularly, other experts say the chemicals in the flavoring may diminish the effectiveness of the drug. Ask your child's doctor or your pharmacist for more information about the safety of flavoring in your child's medicine, especially if your child has an allergy to certain dyes or sweeteners.

Even if your child protests when it comes to taking medicine, you should never tell him or her that medicine is candy as an enticement. This tactic can backfire, and your child could accidentally overdose by taking dangerous medicine that he or she thought was a tasty treat. Instead, explain that medicine can make your child feel better, but it should never be taken without a parent's supervision. If your child spits out or vomits medication, don't give another dose - call your child's doctor for instructions.

Side Effects

After giving your child a dose of medicine, be on the lookout for side effects or allergic reactions. The pharmacist or product packaging may warn you about specific side effects, such as drowsiness or hyperactivity. If your child has side effects such as rashes, hives, vomiting, or diarrhea, talk to your child's doctor or a pharmacist. Penicillin and other antibiotics are among the most common prescription drugs to cause an allergic reaction.

If your child is wheezing, has trouble breathing, or has severe pain after taking a medication, seek emergency help by calling 911 or going to the emergency department immediately. These could be symptoms of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction to a specific trigger, including certain medicines, foods, or insect stings.

Safe Storage

You'll need to be as vigilant about storing your child's medications as you are about giving the correct dose. Read the medication's instructions - some drugs need to remain refrigerated, but most should be stored in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight.

Despite the convenience of your bathroom's medicine cabinet, its location makes it a poor choice for storing most medicines because of the humidity and moisture from the tub or shower. Instead, store medicines in their original containers in a dry, locked location that your child can't reach. Child-resistant caps can be difficult even for adults to open, but make sure to protect your children by re-locking and recapping child-resistant bottles properly.

When disposing of medications, it’s important to make sure they stay out of the reach of children and don’t contaminate the environment. Keep these suggestions in mind:

• Break down tablets or capsules and return them to their bottle. Remember to put the child-resistant top back on. Then secure the bottle further – for instance, with tape or enclosing it in a bag -- before finally tossing it into a garbage can that is well out of the reach of children.
• Returning the medication to a local pharmacy. Many pharmacies take back expired pharmaceuticals. However, each pharmacy has a different policy regarding old or unused medication, so it is important to contact the pharmacy beforehand to see if it will accept your medication.
• Local household hazardous-waste collection facilities often take expired medicines. These are the places where antifreeze, oil, and used batteries are taken for proper disposal. Similar to pharmacies, each facility has a different policy regarding unused medication, so call before taking any type of medication.