Talking About
Medicine Safety
Join four friends as they learn the do’s
and don’ts of medicine safety.
Anna’s not feeling well. What should she do?
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Why not?
What’s up, Anna?
Where were you
yesterday?
Because it’s not safe.
But let’s ask Nurse
Lee. I bet he can
explain better.
I thought I could use
her medicine. But you
actually can’t use
someone else’s
prescription.
I had a cold, so I stayed
home and took some
medicine.
Hey!!
Your mom’s a
doctor, right? I
bet she has some
strong medicine
hanging around
the house.
Anna says we can’t
take someone else’s
prescription. What
exactly is prescription
medicine?
We have some
questions about
medicine safety.
Of course!
Hey, Anna.
How can I help?
Anna says we can’t take someone else’s prescription. What exactly is prescription medicine?
Choose the correct response from Nurse Lee
Medicine you can find on the shelf at a drugstore or grocery store.
Medicine that is specially ordered by your doctor—just for you.
Medicine that can be used by your whole family.
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But if my whole family
gets sick and the
doctor gives me a
prescription, couldn’t
we just share it?
But if my whole family gets sick and the doctor gives me a prescription, couldn’t we just share it?
You might think that because you allhave the same symptoms, you can
take the same medicine, but… Everyone might not like the same flavor. A medicine ingredient that’s safe for one person’s body might not be safe for another person, even if they’re related. The dose might be different for different people.
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Yes! What’s the
difference?
But what about the
other kind of medicine?
The kind you get off
the shelf from a store.
That’s safe, right?
You’re talking about
over-the-counter, or
OTC, medicine.
What’s the difference between prescription medicine and OTC medicine?
Prescription medicine requires a written by your , and you usually have to pick it up from a . pharmacy doctor prescription
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The medicine you can buy directly off the shelf is
called
. You don’t need
a
from your doctor to
buy it. More than one person can use it for the
same
.
symptoms
over-the-counter
prescription
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Since anybody can buy OTC medicines, they are safer than prescription medicines, right?
No. medicine can be dangerous if you don’t use it according to the directions. All Prescription Over-the-counter
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If a doctor doesn’t tell you
how to use over-the-counter
medicine, how do you know
how much to take?
If a doctor doesn’t tell you how to use over-the-counter medicine, how do you know how much to take?
Take the same dose that your youngerbrother or sister takes. You should always read the Drug Facts label on the medicine and follow the directions for you. You should guess.
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But what if the medicine
isn’t helping? Like if
my headache doesn’t
go away? If I take extra
OTC medicine, I’ll feel
better faster, right?
But what if the medicine isn’t helping? Like if my headache doesn’t go away? If I take extra OTC medicine, I’ll feel better faster, right?
Maybe, depending on how much you weigh. Maybe, depending on how old you are. No. You should never take more than the recommended amount (or dose) on the Drug Facts label.
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What if you
take too much by
accident?
My mom said it
can be dangerous
if you take too
much medicine.
If it’s an emergency, like if someone has trouble
breathing, call 911 immediately.
If a medicine mistake happens, you can call the Poison Help number at
1 (800) 222-1222. Keep this number handy and post it in your home.
You should always talk to an adult before taking medicine.
Yes, you could harm your
body, that day or over time.
But how can an OTC
medicine harm you?
So how do you find
out what active
ingredients are in
an OTC medicine?
Also, if the ingredients are
harmful to you, like if you
have an allergy.
Like, if you take too much or
take the next dose too soon.
Any medicine can harm
you if you take it incorrectly.
So how do you find out what active
ingredients are in an OTC medicine?
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Some people have
allergies, so they
have to be careful
with ingredients.
But I’m not allergic
to anything!
Oh...and both
medicines could
have the same
ingredients!
And if you take both medications, you
could end up taking double the
medicine you need—and that can
be harmful to you.
Right! Your cold medicine could have a
fever-reducing medicine in it.
You still have to pay attention to the
ingredients. Imagine you take two
different medicines for different
symptoms, like a fever medicine and
a cough medicine...
No kitchen spoons?!?
Well, you won’t catch me taking
medicine without reading the
Drug Facts label after this! And
I’ll only take as much as the
directions tell me to.
No kitchen spoons?!?
No kitchen spoons?!?
No kitchen spoons?!?
And no kitchen spoons!
You should always use the dosing device (like the dosing cup or syringe) that comes
with the medicine because... Kitchen spoons change the flavor of the medicine. Kitchen spoons do not provide the correct measurement. Kitchen spoons harm the ingredients of the medicine.
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And you have to put the
medicine away when
you’re done. My baby
brother almost started
drinking my cough
medicine one time!
Great point, Rowan.
The safest place in the house to storemedicine is up and away, out of sight
and out of reach of young children.
An example would be... In a cabinet below your bathroom sink. In a basket on the kitchen counter. On a high shelf in a closed cabinet.
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We will!
Thanks for
helping us get
the facts straight,
Nurse Lee.
We will!
We will!
We will!
My pleasure! And
remember to always
check with an adult
before you take any
kind of medicine.