Cardinal Health Foundation announces release of newest Rx safety toolkit to educate youth

DUBLIN, Ohio — The Cardinal Health Foundation and the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy have announced the introduction of the Medication Safety toolkit, the fifth in a series of interactive toolkits designed to help reduce the abuse of prescription drugs.



The Medication Safety toolkit is designed to arm parents, teachers, organizational leaders and health professionals across the country with the necessary resources to discuss the issue of medication safety with elementary-aged children.



The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy faculty, staff and students, in collaboration with local elementary schools, created the Medication Safety toolkit. The toolkit includes materials appropriate for elementary-aged children grades K-5. The materials focus on four medication safety principles:

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  Only take medicine given by a trusted adult;


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  Do not share medication or take someone else's medication;


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  Keep medications in their original containers to avoid confusion with candy or other medicines; and


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  Always store medicine in a safe place, such as a locked cabinet or a high shelf that children cannot reach.

From activity stations and supplemental worksheets to games and visual aids, the contents of this toolkit allow for customization based on the audience and venue to help foster conversation and educate the young participants on how to use medicines safely. In this pharmacy news, the various materials included in the toolkit can easily be implemented in the upcoming Nationwide Poison Prevention Week, an initiative led by the Health Resources and Services Administration.



"Our newest toolkit allows adults to start the conversation of medication safety at a very early age," said Betsy Walker, manager, community relations at Cardinal Health. "This collection of age-appropriate resources provides a foundation for educating our youth about how to use medicines safely before entering their formative years, where prescription drug abuse starts becoming a prevalent issue."



The Medication Safety toolkit can be found at cardinalhealth.com/generationrx. The site also hosts four additional toolkits aimed at different audiences including teens, college students, adults and seniors to prevent medication misuse and abuse.