Many medications and candies look alike, and sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference, especially for kids. Your children may see you take your daily medication and think it looks like a special treat they should be able to have too.
About 50,000 children are seen each year for medical emergencies related to medication overdose. Practicing medication safety is important to keep yourself and your loved ones safe from accidentally taking the wrong medicine or overdosing. Learn how you can keep your family safe with your McAllen pharmacy!
Watch Out for These Lookalike Halloween Candies!
Several medications and candies have similar coatings, textures, colors, shapes, and sizes. These similarities can create a problem if medication is left in an easy-to-reach place or not in a clearly marked container.
Chewable Medications Look Like Candy!
Chewable tablets can be a great option if you have a hard time swallowing pills. They’re especially great for children! But it can be easy to mistake these medications for a candy wafer.
Gummy Vitamins Aren’t Fruit Snacks!
Many children love fruit snacks as an afternoon treat, but they can easily be confused with gummy vitamins. Those snacks can have the same texture and taste as adult or children’s gummy supplements, meaning children might try to eat more than they should. Overdosing on vitamins can have some not-so-pleasant side effects, including an upset stomach, diarrhea, vomiting, headaches, and dizziness.
Is It a Laxative or Chocolate?
Unfortunately, laxatives look just like chocolate! You don’t want to make that mistake, and you don’t want your children to either! Practice medication safety by keeping laxatives out of kids’ reach.
Antacids: But It Looks Like Gum!
Antacids come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, but a lot of them are chewy bits that look like gum or taffy. While good for getting heartburn relief, children may think it’s a treat.
Which Is It? A Tablet, Capsule, or Candy?
Some medications are compressed into a tablet or liquid-filled capsule. If you look closely, they sometimes look like a familiar type of candy, like Smarties or Jelly Beans.
Teaching Your Child About Medication Safety
Even adults can have difficulty telling the difference between candy and medication, so it’s important to teach children about medication safety. Teach your children to only take medication from adults you’ve said they can trust, and to never take medication on their own, even if it looks safe.
Along with teaching our children the difference, we can use something as simple as a lockbox to keep medication tucked away. But a multi-dose packaging option can help too! Multi-dose packaging keeps medicine organized to avoid any accidental overdoses. It also keeps medication secure and doesn’t look like candy wrappers, so your children will be less tempted.
Keep Your Medications Organized With Saenz Pharmacy!
If you’re children accidentally take medication, the best case scenario is usually an upset stomach, but it could mean an expensive trip to the emergency room and days of worry and discomfort. Keep your family safe by making sure all medication is stored in a secure location, and consider multi-dose packing for a quick and easy-to-use alternative! Set up your family’s medication safety plan with Saenz Pharmacy today!