Tackling the Lack of Literacy Regarding OTC Medications in Adolescents

To eliminate accidental over-the-counter medication misuse among Delaware adolescents by evaluating baseline drug literacy and designing a program as a health literacy intervention.

A gap analysis was performed on the health literacy of Delaware teens regarding over the counter medications. A hypothetical mobile application (Project CabinetMed) was then designed for Delaware public schools and pediatric clinics. The app could be included in school initiatives, and clinical surveys about OTC use embedded into annual wellness checkups for youth aged 12 to 18.

Analysis shows 90% of adolescents self-medicate by age 16, yet safety test scores average only 44%, with 85% making label-reading errors and 20% of Delaware high school seniors reporting non-prescription drug use. To address this, Project CabinetMed provides dosage calculators, label decoders, and scenario games linked to local retail rewards.

Adolescent over-the-counter medication literacy in Delaware is critically low. Linking schools, pediatric clinics, and retailers offers an effective approach to improve knowledge retention and safe self-medication practices.

Public health agencies should mandate standardized medication safety instruction in school curricula and integrate universal literacy screening into routine pediatric wellness visits to track surveillance data and prevent pediatric poisonings statewide.