Advocating Safe Medication Practices

By Sakini Mohd Said

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- Khairul Anuar and his wife had just returned home from work and he was on his way to the bathroom when he suddenly caught his two-year-old daughter putting some vitamin tablets into her mouth. She 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 chewed and swallowed some the brightly-coloured tablets that a doctor had prescribed to his wife who was then pregnant.

He and his wife Noraini Mazlan, 42, rushed their daughter to the nearest clinic even though the little girl did not suffer any adverse reaction.

"Luckily nothing happened to our daughter. She had seen my wife swallowing the vitamin tablets and must have thought they were sweets," he said, adding that since the incident, they have been keeping their supplements and medications in a safe place that was out of reach of their children.

Many cases have been reported of children ingesting medicines meant for adults, the most tragic one being that of a four-year-old child from Negeri Sembilan who died in 2016 after swallowing some blood pressure-lowering tablets 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 although their daughter did not seem unwell.

LACK OF SAFETY CONSCIOUSNESS

"When a child ingests medication meant for adults, he or she must immediately be rushed to the emergency section of 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 stomach ache and diarrhoea and in serious cases, bloody stool or even liver damage," he told Bernama, 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 medications in a safe place, thus exposing their children to danger.

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

The 'Duta Prihatin Masyarakat' programme is a spin-off from the division's ongoing Know Your Medicine programme implemented since May 2012.

The latter was introduced to encourage the "quality use of medicines", that is making the best possible use of medicines to improve health outcomes.

"It is a community empowerment programme aimed at encouraging the public to get actively involved in promoting quality use of medicines," said Dr Ramli.

STORAGE OF MEDICINES

Elaborating on the safety aspect, Dr Ramli said although medicine packages are labelled with the 'Keep away from children' warning, some people still kept their medications on the dining table or in places easily accessible to children.

"Medicines come in various shapes and colours to which children can get attracted. This is why it is so important to keep medications away from children," he said.

Concerns over the storage of medicines are justified because it does not only involve the safety of children but that of the patients too. 

"Besides storing them in a high cabinet, the medications should also be kept in closed containers that can be seen easily. They should also be labelled clearly to make it easier to locate them in case of an emergency," said Dr Ramli.

He said most people were not aware that the improper storage of medications can affect the efficacy of the medicines concerned or even damage them.

Some medicines have to be kept at room temperature in a cool, dry place and some in the refrigerator.

"Just follow the instructions given on the label," he said, adding that many people seem to prefer storing their medications in the refrigerator, kitchen, bathroom cabinet and even in the car thinking they (medicines) were hardy and long-lasting.

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

"Only medicines that have to be stored at between two and eight degrees Celsius must be kept in the fridge. The instruction pertaining to this is given clearly on the packaging," he added.

Referring to the tendency for some people 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 can be damaged by the heat, especially if the vehicle is parked outdoors where the temperature inside the car can go up to 50 degrees Celsius. 

"The issue of how medicines must be stored may seem like a small thing but the impact is huge. It's such a waste if we get the best treatment in the hospital but fail to store our medicines properly at home," he said.

Translated by Rema Nambiar

BERNAMA