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April 19, 2007 -- When your wellness is at stake, it's important
to know how to take over-the-counter medications wisely.
"While over-the-counter medications don't require a prescription,
they are serious medications that can be highly effective when used
correctly, but carry high risks when misused," says Kim Walsh, director
of Pharmacy Services for Kimball Medical Center, who notes that
Kimball joins health care professionals throughout the country each
April to observe Medication Safety Awareness Week. This annual observance
was created to raise awareness about the safety of OTC and prescription
medicines, and offer strategies to reduce risk.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,
an estimated $76.6 billion is spent annually on preventable
medication-related illnesses.
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications are drugs that
the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved as safe and
effective for consumers to use without a doctor's prescription.
It is estimated that Americans diagnose and treat themselves with
OTC medications for common health problems four times more often
than they turn to their physicians for help.
"Often people use this self-help approach because
they think drugs sold over-the-counter are completely safe," Walsh
says. "But they are potent and can cause harm if they're not taken
with care."
In fact, Walsh notes that ignoring label instructions
on an OTC drug can cause a health problem that's even worse than
the one originally being treated.
"Taking a more active role to learn about medicines
and supplements and communicating more effectively with health care
practitioners may avert serious harm," she says.
Walsh also urges caution when using herbal products
and nutritional supplements, noting that harm can result from the
product itself, taking too much of it, and/or combining it with
other products, including OTC and prescription medicines.
"Everyone should read warning sections on labels or
look up the name of the medicine in the Physician’s Desk Reference
for Nonprescription Drugs," she says. "If you are unsure about taking
an over-the-counter medicine, check with your health care provider
or pharmacist to find out if it is safe to combine medicines, to
take alcohol with a medicine, or to take OTC herbs, such as kava
kava and St. John’s Wort with medicines and/or alcohol."
The Department of Pharmacy Services at Kimball Medical
Center — an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System
— prepares oral and injectable medications for all patients
treated at Kimball. Registered pharmacists and technicians staff
the department 24 hours a day, and pharmacists review each medication
order for accuracy and appropriateness prior to dispensing medications.
Kimball Medical Center's pharmacy director, Kim Walsh, says that
parents need to be especially careful when giving OTC medications
to a child. Here are some tips to ensure your child is helped and
not hurt by non-prescription drugs:
Their bodies process drugs differently from
an adult's, so don't guess about the dose based on the child's size.
Follow the instructions on the label.
use precise measuring spoons or containers marked
for the correct dosage. TBS or TBSP stands for tablespoon and TSP
for teaspoon. They are very different doses. If the label calls
for a dropper, use one.
at the same time, talk to your doctor
or pharmacist.
If it says not to give the drug to a
child under 12, don't.
Remember that even vitamin-mineral
supplements can be dangerous. Iron, for instance, is the number
one cause of fatal ingestion poisoning in children under three.
And some common medications, such as diet pills, decongestant tablets,
antidepressant drugs and high blood pressure medications, are potentially
lethal to children. In some cases, as little as one pill can be
fatal.
to coax your kids to take it. If they come
across it on their own, they might think it's a harmless treat.
between tamper-resistant caps (which indicate if the package
has been opened) and child-resistant caps (designed to
make it difficult for children to open the package). Be sure to
"re-lock" the cap after each use. If you don't, the child-resistant
device will be useless.
The legal definition of child-resistant
is that it must take more than five minutes for 80 percent of five-year-olds
to get into the container. That means 20 percent can do it in less
time, and the rest may be able to open it given more time.
CONTACT: Kristine A. Brown
Director of Public Relations
732-557-3902
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