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Accidental ingestions of oral prescription drugs: a multicenter survey
B J Jacobson1, A R Rock, M S Cohn
1US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20207.
Insights
Accidental ingestion of prescription drugs by young children remains a significant public health issue. Findings highlight risks associated with improper storage and non-child-resistant packaging, emphasizing the need for improved safety measures.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Toxicology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Accidental ingestion of oral prescription drugs by children under five is a persistent public health concern.
- Previous studies indicate a need to re-evaluate current safety measures and packaging effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the circumstances surrounding accidental drug ingestions by young children.
- To identify risk factors contributing to these incidents, focusing on medication storage and packaging.
Main Methods:
- A telephone survey was conducted with 1,866 ingestion incidents reported to nine poison control centers in 1986.
- Data collected included child's age, location of ingestion, drug type, and packaging status.
Main Results:
- Accidental ingestions most frequently involved two-year-old children in their homes.
- Medications were often stored improperly, in non-child-resistant packaging, or containers not intended for medication.
- A significant percentage of child-resistant packages were non-functional, and at least 61% of medications lacked any child-resistant barrier.
Conclusions:
- Accessible storage locations and non-child-resistant packaging significantly increase the risk of accidental ingestion.
- There is a critical need for more effective and user-friendly child-resistant packaging for oral prescription drugs.
Abstract:
Accidental ingestion of oral prescription drugs by children under age five continues to be a public health problem. A telephone survey of 1,866 ingestion incidents reported to nine poison control centers was conducted in the spring of 1986. Accidental ingestion occurred most often with a two-year-old child (42 per cent) in their own home (82 per cent). Thirty-five per cent of the toxic drugs ingested at home belonged to someone other than the immediate family, most often a grandparent. Toxic drugs were more often out of their usual storage location and in non-child-resistant prescription packaging, a nonprescription container, or in no container. Twenty-two per cent of all child-resistant packages were non-functional. Overall, at least 61 per cent of all medications had no child-resistant barrier at the time of ingestion. Accessible storage locations such as the kitchen counter, table top, or top of a dresser or bedside table greatly increased the risk of accidental ingestion. These results suggest the need for effective child-resistant packaging that is easier for all adults to use.