Safe Storage

Protect your children. Here’s how:

Put medicines up and away and out of children’s reach and sight.

  • Children are curious and put all sorts of things in their mouths. Even if you turn your back for less than a minute, they can quickly get into things that could hurt them.
  • Pick a storage place in your home that children cannot reach or see. Different families will have different places. Walk around your house and decide on the safest place to keep your medicines and vitamins.
  • Put medicines up and away and out of children’s reach and sight.
  • Always relock the cap on a medicine bottle.

Put medicines away every time.

  • This includes medicines and vitamins you use every day. Never leave medicine out on a kitchen counter or at a sick child’s bedside, even if you have to give it again in a few hours.

Make sure the safety cap is locked.

  • Always relock the cap on a medicine bottle. If the bottle has a locking cap that turns, twist it until you hear the click or cannot twist anymore.
  • Remember, even though many medicines have safety caps, children may be able to open them. Every medicine must be stored up and away and out of children’s reach and sight.

Teach your children about medicine safety.

  • Teach your children what medicine is and why you or a trusted adult must be the one to give it to them.
  • Never tell children medicine is candy to get them to take it, even if they don’t like to take their medicine.

Tell your guests about medicine safety.

  • Ask family members, houseguests, and other visitors to keep purses, bags, or coats that have medicine in them up and away and out of sight when they are in your home.

Be prepared in case of an emergency.

  • Call your poison control center at 222.1222 right away if you think your child might have gotten into a medicine or vitamin, even if you are not completely sure.
  • Program the Poison Help number into your home and cell phones so you will have it when you need it.

Take Action.

  • Visit the Up and Away Campaign’s websiteto learn more about storing medications safely while at home and when traveling with young children. Share these safe storage tips with family and friends.

In addition to the above valuable information, we encourage you to lock up your medications in a secure lock box or bag and store it in a private location while also maintaining a log of each medication. This will help you track the number of pills in each bottle and help you identify if pills are being misused by someone.