Getting into prescription or over-the-counter medicines at home is a major source of accidental poisoning for young children.
Yet, nearly half of parents say they have leftover prescriptions at home, a new poll shows.
“We found that it’s common for parents to keep medicines long after they are expired or no longer needed, which creates an unnecessary health risk for children,” said Sarah Clark. She co-directs the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at University of Michigan Health.
“Younger children getting into medicine in the home is a major source of unintentional poisonings. For older children, access to these medicines brings the risk of experimentation, diversion to peers, or other intentional misuses,” Clark said in a university news release….