Medicine Guidelines

Here are some important things to remember when giving any medicines to children:

  • Keep medicine out of the reach of small children; accidental overdose may cause serious problems or death.
  • Never mix medicine with food or liquids unless you are instructed by the doctor or nurse to do so; if your child does not eat or drink the entire amount, you will not know how much medicine he received.
  • In trying to convince your child to take medicine, be careful not to call it candy; at another time, the child may mistake the medicine for candy.
  • If your child is taking several medicines at different times, it may be difficult to remember whether the proper doses were given; make a checklist to help avoid mistakes; when a medicine is given, check it off on the sheet.
  • If your child misses or vomits a dose of medicine, give the regular dose at the next scheduled time; never try to make up for a missed dose by giving a double dose or a larger dose than has been prescribed; if two doses or more are missed, notify your doctor.
  • When traveling, keep medicine in a container that is labeled.
  • Always have prescriptions refilled before they are empty.