8 TIPS FOR TAKING MEDICINE

1) Dampness, heat and light can speed the deterioration of most drugs Therefore, rooms such as the bathroom are not the places to keep your medication The best place is outside the bathroom in a small closet or cabinet which can be locked or is not within the reach of children. If the label on the medication advises that it be refrigerated, make sure that’s where it is kept.

2) Make sure that your medicines haven’t expired, by checking the expiration dates on the medicine bottles frequently.

3) To remind yourself to take medication that must be taken at certain times set your clock or alarm watch for the correct interval of time between dosages, and then listen for the alarm to go off. Or, you can purchase one of the new electronic beepers discussed elsewhere in this chapter.

4) To avoid having drips or spills ooze over the labels of bottled medicines making the directions hard to read, keep the label side facing up when pouring.

5) You should not tell children that medicine tastes good or that it is or tastes like “candy”. That may lead your children into thinking that all medicines are good tasting or candy and they’ll try to find them while you aren’t looking. Accidental poisoning is always a possibility with medication. Don’t try to hoodwink your children about the medicine’s taste. You can also give them a little juice and/or a cracker before and after they take the medicine.

6) A good way to give liquid medication to an infant is to put the prescribed amount in a nipple and give it to the baby just before feeding time. Most infants will be so hungry they won’t even notice that they’ve swallowed medicine.

7) Another way to give medicine to your baby is with a plastic dropper placed against the baby’s cheek. When you squeeze the dropper slowly, most babies will begin to suck automatically.

Another tip for giving liquid medicine to a child is to hold a small paper cup under his or her chin. Any medicine that dribbles into the cup can be mixed with a little water, and your child can then drink the rest.