Pharm Parties
Pharm Parties
We know the problem. Now what do we do about it?
Most kids today go home to an empty house. They are left alone for at least three hours every day after school. That gives them plenty of time to take their parents medications without anyone being the wiser.
How do we educate our children on the dangers of prescription medications?
Do you lock up your guns? What about your alcohol? If yes, then why don’t you lock up your medications? The simple and most common answer would be “because I never really thought about it.” No one has ever thought to lock up their medication but most of us would not have a gun sitting in the cabinet in the bathroom. Can you even compare the two. Here’s a little secret, prescription medications can kill you just as easily as a gun can.
Some of the most common medications that are being abused at these Pharm Parties are Xanax, Vicoden, Oxycontin, Zoloft, Prozac, and Wellbutrin. These medications are frequently prescribed to americans around the country. Kids have easy access to your medications if you are not locking them up.
Every party is different but the basic idea is that you take the medications that you took from your parents and put it in a bowl at the party. If you put in three pills you take out three pills of your choice. That is terrifying. These kids have no idea what they took from their parents and certainly not what that bright blue tablet was they took from the bowl.
As a parent and a pharmacist I feel that it is necessary to offer ways to try to prevent some of these things from happening. If it saves one child, it’s worth it.
Solving the problem.
We need to start locking up our medications, just as we would our liquor cabinet and our guns. One of the reasons that kids think it’s okay to take these medications is because they are prescribed by a doctor. So, therefore they must be safe.
Talk to your kids. The best way to approach this is by telling them something that they can relate to. I’m sure you have life experiences or know some one who has, that can share their story with them. It needs to make them stop and think. You have to be able to relate to your kids. Most kids think that they are invincible.
Be honest with them. Even though you are going to lock up the medications, it is for their own protection.
Throw away everything that you are not currently taking. You don’t need it and if you do, go see a doctor. Your kids safety is more important.
Go through your parents medication cabinet. A lot of them probably have stuff hanging around from the 70’s. Imagine what your grandparents might have.
As the medications on the market become more powerful and in turn more dangerous, the problem will get worse before it gets better. Eventually it will be something else, but for now we do what we can and we educate our children.
We know the problem. Now what do we do about it?
Most kids today go home to an empty house. They are left alone for at least three hours every day after school. That gives them plenty of time to take their parents medications without anyone being the wiser.
How do we educate our children on the dangers of prescription medications?
Do you lock up your guns? What about your alcohol? If yes, then why don’t you lock up your medications? The simple and most common answer would be “because I never really thought about it.” No one has ever thought to lock up their medication but most of us would not have a gun sitting in the cabinet in the bathroom. Can you even compare the two. Here’s a little secret, prescription medications can kill you just as easily as a gun can.
Some of the most common medications that are being abused at these Pharm Parties are Xanax, Vicoden, Oxycontin, Zoloft, Prozac, and Wellbutrin. These medications are frequently prescribed to americans around the country. Kids have easy access to your medications if you are not locking them up.
Every party is different but the basic idea is that you take the medications that you took from your parents and put it in a bowl at the party. If you put in three pills you take out three pills of your choice. That is terrifying. These kids have no idea what they took from their parents and certainly not what that bright blue tablet was they took from the bowl.
As a parent and a pharmacist I feel that it is necessary to offer ways to try to prevent some of these things from happening. If it saves one child, it’s worth it.
Solving the problem.
We need to start locking up our medications, just as we would our liquor cabinet and our guns. One of the reasons that kids think it’s okay to take these medications is because they are prescribed by a doctor. So, therefore they must be safe.
Talk to your kids. The best way to approach this is by telling them something that they can relate to. I’m sure you have life experiences or know some one who has, that can share their story with them. It needs to make them stop and think. You have to be able to relate to your kids. Most kids think that they are invincible.
Be honest with them. Even though you are going to lock up the medications, it is for their own protection.
Throw away everything that you are not currently taking. You don’t need it and if you do, go see a doctor. Your kids safety is more important.
Go through your parents medication cabinet. A lot of them probably have stuff hanging around from the 70’s. Imagine what your grandparents might have.
As the medications on the market become more powerful and in turn more dangerous, the problem will get worse before it gets better. Eventually it will be something else, but for now we do what we can and we educate our children.
Candy Vs. Medicine
There are a lot of medications on the market today that look like candy. This is an increasing concern for some parents.
Medicine or candy
As a Pharmacist and a mother of four, this is a big concern. Everything that you can buy today has gone through a great deal of testing to get to the market. Even the medications that we take. They are actually tested to see if they are appealing to look at. Sounds crazy, right? Well it’s true. Think about it. All of the medications for children now come in every flavor that you can think of. If they don’t have it, the pharmacist can make it. Everything from the packaging, the shape and the color will affect whether or not it will be taken.
One of the biggest problems we as a health care team face is non-compliance. Patients are not taking their medications. It could be for any number of reasons. One is the taste. Just think how those little kids feel about taking their medicine when it tastes so bad.
When I was at school we had to come up with a way to make medication more appealing to children. At first it seemed harmless enough. What can I do to this drug to make kids want to take it? When you put it like that I sound like a drug pusher. We came up with ideas like lollipops, popsicles and gum. All things that kids love. Imagine if we had lollipops with fentanyl in them. Oh, wait. We do! This is one of the most commonly abused drugs on the street right now.
At a recent health fair here in town, I had out a poster board filled with what appeared to be candy. The heading on it was ‘Can you tell the difference between medicine and candy?’. Most of the adults could not tell the difference. If that is true, how can we expect our children to know. Attached to the newsletter is a list of the most common medications that are mistaken for candy, along with a few of the poisons. Please take a look at it. It could mean the difference in the life of your children.
HERE ARE SOME THINGS TO GET YOU STARTED.
Stress to your children not to take anything from anyone but you. If someone else cares for them make sure they know that it is okay to take medicine from them.
Show them how close candy is to medicine. Explain how dangerous it is to take something if you don’t know what it is or where it came from.
Quiz them. Ask them what they would do if they were offered something that looks like candy.
Lock up your medicine. It’s that simple. Get it away from any place that they may find it.
Medicine or candy
As a Pharmacist and a mother of four, this is a big concern. Everything that you can buy today has gone through a great deal of testing to get to the market. Even the medications that we take. They are actually tested to see if they are appealing to look at. Sounds crazy, right? Well it’s true. Think about it. All of the medications for children now come in every flavor that you can think of. If they don’t have it, the pharmacist can make it. Everything from the packaging, the shape and the color will affect whether or not it will be taken.
One of the biggest problems we as a health care team face is non-compliance. Patients are not taking their medications. It could be for any number of reasons. One is the taste. Just think how those little kids feel about taking their medicine when it tastes so bad.
When I was at school we had to come up with a way to make medication more appealing to children. At first it seemed harmless enough. What can I do to this drug to make kids want to take it? When you put it like that I sound like a drug pusher. We came up with ideas like lollipops, popsicles and gum. All things that kids love. Imagine if we had lollipops with fentanyl in them. Oh, wait. We do! This is one of the most commonly abused drugs on the street right now.
At a recent health fair here in town, I had out a poster board filled with what appeared to be candy. The heading on it was ‘Can you tell the difference between medicine and candy?’. Most of the adults could not tell the difference. If that is true, how can we expect our children to know. Attached to the newsletter is a list of the most common medications that are mistaken for candy, along with a few of the poisons. Please take a look at it. It could mean the difference in the life of your children.
HERE ARE SOME THINGS TO GET YOU STARTED.
Stress to your children not to take anything from anyone but you. If someone else cares for them make sure they know that it is okay to take medicine from them.
Show them how close candy is to medicine. Explain how dangerous it is to take something if you don’t know what it is or where it came from.
Quiz them. Ask them what they would do if they were offered something that looks like candy.
Lock up your medicine. It’s that simple. Get it away from any place that they may find it.
Do My Children Have Head Lice?
I know what you are thinking; there is no way any of my children have head lice. They take a shower and wash their hair everyday. I have a clean house and I brush my child’s hair everyday. Well, despite all of these things your children can still get head lice. This is not a condition of social status or one of cleanliness. In fact, lice prefer to live on clean heads and unless you know what you are looking for they are very difficult to see. I know all of this because it happened to me. I took all of the necessary precautions (at least I thought I did) and it still happened. I felt awful, like there was something more I could have done. I felt like a failure as a mother. I realize that’s a bit extreme, but I felt like I let my kids down.
The first thing you need to know is that there is no need to panic. This is very easy and inexpensive to treat. This is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about, it can happen to anyone. So even if you think that there is no way this could happen to your kids, check them anyway. You need to be prepared to spend a lot of time on this. If left untreated it could get out of hand.
One of the symptoms you may want to look for (and the most obvious) is itching behind the ears and at the nape of the neck (base of the back of the head at hairline). These are the most common sites that lice and/or eggs can be found. Most likely if there is an outbreak at school, you will be notified. However, it doesn’t hurt to check your children at home.
The next thing you want to do, if and when you are notified of an outbreak, is check everyone in the family. When you are checking your children’s hair and scalp for lice and/or eggs you need to do this very carefully and slowly, it takes time. Lice can be anywhere and they move rather quickly, however they do not jump or fly. They do not live on animals only humans. They are about the size of a sesame seed and they are very difficult to see not only because they move so fast but also because they are colorless and blend with the hair very well.
The eggs are smaller and usually very close to the scalp, they are about the size of a poppy seed (or head of a pin). If the child has had them for a while the hair will have grown out and the eggs will be a little further up the hair shaft. The eggs may be either transparent or opaque and sometimes have brown specs on them. They stick to the hair shaft very well. They have a glue like substance on them and will not move easily. Sometimes dandruff is mistaken for head lice. If it is dandruff it will move when lightly touched, lice eggs will not.
If you discover any lice or eggs your child needs to be treated right away. There are many products available on the market. I would recommend permetherin 1% lotion. It is very easy to use and inexpensive. It can be bought over the counter for about 5$ for a 2 ounce bottle that will treat 2 children with medium to short hair. Also I believe this is a less toxic product for children than products such as Kwell® (or lindane) which would require a prescription. There are very detailed instructions that come in the box of any product that you buy and most of them also come with a comb. Please follow the directions very carefully. If it says to only leave it on for 10 minutes, then that is what you do. More is not better, it can be dangerous.
Unfortunately, the most difficult and time consuming part begins after the treatment is done. You must comb out your child’s hair with a fine tooth comb in 2 inch sections. Pull out each egg one by one. This takes a long time; I would say 1 to 2 plus hours depending on the length and thickness of the child’s hair. To help aide you better you may want to use a bright light and a magnifying glass.
The next thing you want to do is treat your house. Wash all clothes, sheets, pillows, blankets, anything you can put in the washer, do it. It is recommended that you wash clothing and linens in hot water (about 130° F) then put in the dryer for at least 20 minutes. If there is anything that can’t be washed place them in a plastic bag and seal it for 14 days. You can also buy a spray for your furniture and other large items and then vacuum all areas after spraying.
Once all of this is done you need to continue to check your child’s head everyday for at least 2 weeks. All of the lice should have been killed with the one treatment. The eggs however may not be, so checking your child’s hair everyday is very important. Re-treatment should not be necessary. If you discover that there are still some eggs just remove them with the fine tooth comb or pull them out with your fingernails (which is actually the best way).
The best advice I can give you is to be proactive and try to stop it before it starts. Some tips for prevention are as follows:
DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN-
-share combs, brushes, barrettes, hair ribbons headbands or other personal items.
-share hats, sweaters, coats, scarves, headphones, pillows or stuffed animals.
-stack coats or hats with others. If your child shares a locker have them put
their coat in their backpack.
This just about covers it. I realize this is a lot of information and is very overwhelming. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Adirondack Pharmacy in Star Lake, NY at 315-848-3784. We would be glad to help you.
The first thing you need to know is that there is no need to panic. This is very easy and inexpensive to treat. This is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about, it can happen to anyone. So even if you think that there is no way this could happen to your kids, check them anyway. You need to be prepared to spend a lot of time on this. If left untreated it could get out of hand.
One of the symptoms you may want to look for (and the most obvious) is itching behind the ears and at the nape of the neck (base of the back of the head at hairline). These are the most common sites that lice and/or eggs can be found. Most likely if there is an outbreak at school, you will be notified. However, it doesn’t hurt to check your children at home.
The next thing you want to do, if and when you are notified of an outbreak, is check everyone in the family. When you are checking your children’s hair and scalp for lice and/or eggs you need to do this very carefully and slowly, it takes time. Lice can be anywhere and they move rather quickly, however they do not jump or fly. They do not live on animals only humans. They are about the size of a sesame seed and they are very difficult to see not only because they move so fast but also because they are colorless and blend with the hair very well.
The eggs are smaller and usually very close to the scalp, they are about the size of a poppy seed (or head of a pin). If the child has had them for a while the hair will have grown out and the eggs will be a little further up the hair shaft. The eggs may be either transparent or opaque and sometimes have brown specs on them. They stick to the hair shaft very well. They have a glue like substance on them and will not move easily. Sometimes dandruff is mistaken for head lice. If it is dandruff it will move when lightly touched, lice eggs will not.
If you discover any lice or eggs your child needs to be treated right away. There are many products available on the market. I would recommend permetherin 1% lotion. It is very easy to use and inexpensive. It can be bought over the counter for about 5$ for a 2 ounce bottle that will treat 2 children with medium to short hair. Also I believe this is a less toxic product for children than products such as Kwell® (or lindane) which would require a prescription. There are very detailed instructions that come in the box of any product that you buy and most of them also come with a comb. Please follow the directions very carefully. If it says to only leave it on for 10 minutes, then that is what you do. More is not better, it can be dangerous.
Unfortunately, the most difficult and time consuming part begins after the treatment is done. You must comb out your child’s hair with a fine tooth comb in 2 inch sections. Pull out each egg one by one. This takes a long time; I would say 1 to 2 plus hours depending on the length and thickness of the child’s hair. To help aide you better you may want to use a bright light and a magnifying glass.
The next thing you want to do is treat your house. Wash all clothes, sheets, pillows, blankets, anything you can put in the washer, do it. It is recommended that you wash clothing and linens in hot water (about 130° F) then put in the dryer for at least 20 minutes. If there is anything that can’t be washed place them in a plastic bag and seal it for 14 days. You can also buy a spray for your furniture and other large items and then vacuum all areas after spraying.
Once all of this is done you need to continue to check your child’s head everyday for at least 2 weeks. All of the lice should have been killed with the one treatment. The eggs however may not be, so checking your child’s hair everyday is very important. Re-treatment should not be necessary. If you discover that there are still some eggs just remove them with the fine tooth comb or pull them out with your fingernails (which is actually the best way).
The best advice I can give you is to be proactive and try to stop it before it starts. Some tips for prevention are as follows:
DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN-
-share combs, brushes, barrettes, hair ribbons headbands or other personal items.
-share hats, sweaters, coats, scarves, headphones, pillows or stuffed animals.
-stack coats or hats with others. If your child shares a locker have them put
their coat in their backpack.
This just about covers it. I realize this is a lot of information and is very overwhelming. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Adirondack Pharmacy in Star Lake, NY at 315-848-3784. We would be glad to help you.