‘Keep medicine away from children’

Toddler rushed to doctor after dad realises she took mum’s pregnancy pills

KUALA LUMPUR: Khairul Anuar and his wife had just returned home from work and he was on his way to the bathroom when he spotted his daughter putting tablets into her mouth.

The two-year-old had taken the pills out of a bottle that was kept inside her mother’s handbag.

Khairul, 47, a civil servant, panicked when he realised his daughter had swallowed some of the brightly coloured tablets.

A doctor had prescribed the pills to his wife, Noraini Mazlan, 42, who was then pregnant.

The couple rushed their daughter to the nearest clinic.

“Luckily, nothing happened. She had seen my wife taking the pills and must have thought they were sweets,” he said, adding that since the incident, they kept all their supplements and medications in a safe place out of reach of their children.

Many cases have been reported of children ingesting medicine meant for adults.

The most tragic one was a fouryear-old from Negri Sembilan, who died in 2016 after swallowing some blood pressure medications belonging to his grandmother.

The Health Ministry’s pharmaceutical division senior director Dr Ramli Zainal said Khairul and his wife did the right thing by seeking immediate medical attention.

“When a child ingests medication meant for adults, he or she must immediately be rushed to the nearest hospital.

“In general, consuming vitamins in excessive doses can lead to nausea, vomiting and dizziness.

“Iron tablets, when taken in higher doses, can cause stomachache and diarrhoea and in serious cases, bloody stool or even liver damage,” he said, adding that supplements and medications should be kept out of reach of children at all times.

According to Dr Ramli, the pharmaceutical services division’s community empowerment activities revealed that most people did not place much emphasis on keeping their medication in a safe place, thus exposing their children to danger.

The division arrived at this conclusion following the implementation of its Community Care Ambassador programme in 2016, which saw its pharmacists teaming up with volunteers or ambassadors to visit the homes of patients to educate them on safe medication practices.

Elaborating on the safety aspect, Dr Ramli said although medicine packages were labelled with the “Keep Away from Children” warning, some people still kept them on the dining table or in places easily accessible to children.

“Medicine comes in various shapes and colours, to which children can get attracted. This is why it is so important to keep medication away from them,” he said.

Dr Ramli also said most people were not aware that improper storage of medication could affect the efficacy of the medicines or even damage them.

“Some medicines have to be kept at room temperature in a cool, dry place.

“Just follow the instructions given on the label,” he said, adding that many people seemed to prefer storing their medication in the refrigerator, kitchen, bathroom cabinet and even in the car, thinking they were hardy and long-lasting.

He said tablets and pills should not be refrigerated as they could become damp and easily crumble, which would compromise their quality.

“Only medicines that have to be

2° °C stored at between Cand8 must be kept in the fridge,” he said.

Referring to the tendency for some to keep their inhalers or heart medication in the car for easy accessibility, Dr Ramli said it was not a wise thing to do as the medications could be damaged by the heat, especially if the vehicle was parked outdoors. — Bernama

Medicine comes in various shapes and colours, to which children can get attracted.

Dr Ramli Zainal