Mum, there’s a danger lurking in your home that you might not have even considered…
And that’s why you need to know about the RUM Project.
Did you know that over 5,000 children are hospitalised every year due to medicine poisonings in the home? Expired or unwanted medicines can be seriously harmful in the wrong hands.
Between curious little people ingesting medicines they find, or elderly confusion where an excess of products lead to mismanagement, these serious problems beg the question; why do we have old medicines hanging around?
The Return Unwanted Medicines (RUM) Project is here to urge you to take 5 minutes to clean out your cupboards, drawers and cabinets.
This simple action dramatically reduces the risks of accidental medicine poisonings, overdoses or mismanagement in your home.
Mum Central can almost guarantee 95% of you will have at least one out-of-date item which is no longer needed. The best news of all is that The RUM Project is a FREE and national service so ensuring the safety of your family is easy!
Here’s 5 reasons you should act now & return unwanted medicines to your local pharmacy:
- Ingesting expired products brings many risks including adverse reactions due to changed chemical compositions and potential bacterial growth
- Expired medicine is likely to have decreased potency
- Accident and Emergency Departments are reporting that 1 in 4 admissions of children is due to poisoning by a household item
- Saving medicine ‘just in case’ is risky and unnecessary. For example, research suggests that the full course of antibiotics is required to ensure maximum effectiveness and reduce resistance
- Elderly patients are frequently confused by the medicines they have in their home, especially when they are superseded with newer products
Getting rid of the medicines you no longer need, that are expired or were never used in full, minimises the risk of harmful incidences happening in your home.
Why is it important to dispose of medicines properly?
- Last year The RUM Project collected a staggering 700 tonnes of medicines from Australian households, potentially preventing it from finding its way into waterways and landfill
- Disposing medicines with household garbage bin still poses a risk of them ending up in the wrong hands
- Flushing down the toilet or sink has negative environmental consequences, because, most medicines after all, contain chemicals
The safest way of disposing of unwanted medicines is easy! Simply follow the 3 R’s.
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Find all medicine in your home and review them by reading the labels and checking expiry dates. Consider whether you really need them. If they are expired, un-labelled or only half the course was taken, you should definitely dispose of them!
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Put all your unwanted medicines from your home into a plastic bag or container. Remember to put them out of harm’s way until you can responsibly dispose of them.
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Take your unwanted medicines to your local pharmacy. They will put your medicines in a secure bin and dispose of them safely for you, free of charge!
Not only are you doing something positive for the environment but always remember, every packet of unwanted medicine returned is one less risk (in SO many ways) in your home!
PLUS, don’t forget if you have elderly parents they will need your assistance too! A quick sweep of their medicines will prevent confusion and minimise potential problems of ingesting expired product.
To celebrate the launch of the RUM campaign, we’ve got $3,000 in EFTPOS Gift Cards to give away!
To simply reward you for getting up to speed with RUM and embracing this important initiative, you could score 1 of 12 $250 EFTPOS gift cards. Entry is really easy too!
Simply complete the entry form below, comment on the blog per the instructions in the entry form, and you could be a winner!
PLUS, here’s how to really improve your chances of winning!
BONUS 10 ENTRIES: Take a snap of an old, expired or half-used item from your medicine cupboard that you will return to your local pharmacy. Then upload the snap into your entry form and your chances of winning are dramatically increased by 10 BONUS POINTS!!
421 Comments
Always keep them locked up or in high cupboards that little fingers cannot get to
I always keep the medicine in a cupboard that the children can’t reach and in a container that’s sealed.
Lock it up.
Keep all medicine in a locked cupboard at a height that kids cant reach
we have a first aid lock box – all medication is left in there, even worming tablets for the cats. but we always educate them telling them that sometimes medication can look like lollies. so no matter how yummy they may appear you do not take lollies off strangers OR eat “lollies” you find at home, school or at other peoples homes. always check with an adult if you find a different looking lolly,
Best to keep your medicine in a locked cabinet in an area which is not frequently accessed by your kids. I personally lock my medicine up in the top cabinet in my bathroom.
Keep out of sight of curious little eyes
Locked AND up high. Better safe than sorry!
I keep our medicines and first aid supplies in a high cupboard that does not have a bench or chair access to avoid little fingers finding their way in there. I have educated the children to never take any tablets they may find or come across and to never accept medicines from anyone that are not family or in the hospital.
My medicines are in a vanity cupboard over my sink and have a child proof lock on them
I have them in a lockable first aid box in the cupboard above the fridge
I keep my medications on the highest shelf in the pantry at the back out of sight.
Ours is stored in the highest cupboard that even I need a chair to be able to get into so there’s no way kids can reach it.
We keep our medicines & first aid items in the highest cupboard possible (in this house, the cupboard above the fridge) with a child safety lock.
Keep medicines in a locked cupboard out of the reach of children
I have everything in big containers in a cupboard above the fridge
This is an amazing Program, I saw a poster for this at my local pharmacy last week and took my son’s last unfinished bottle of premix in. Thankfully we have a lockable compartment in our fridge where we can keep medicines, others are kept in the top of the linen cupboard away from little fingers
I keep it up high in the cupboard and teach my child that medicine is only to have when we are sick.
I keep it in the cabinet that is pretty high and kids can’t reach also in the plastic container they can’t open, but we also do not keep medicines only things “just in case” like pain killers
I like to teach the kids what they are and what can happen if you take it when your not supposed to. Inquisitive minds gets them into trouble but if I show them and tell them then it’s not a hidden treasure anymore.
Ours are in a locked box at the top of the cupboard. The key is kept in our room in the top of the wardrobe! Slightly paranoid I know but better safe then sorry!
I keep our medicines in the highest cupboard in the kitchen, so the little one cannot reach them and I teach my child that only mummy and daddy can touch the medicine.
Keep them up high out of reach of little fingers. I even need a step stool to reach them!
We keep all medicines locked in the safe.
Highest cupboard
Plus telling from an early age that the medicine cupboard is parents only, dont touch.
Thankfully she was pretty good with stuff like medications, poison or hot
Our medicines are kept on a high shelve that even I cannot reach!
No longer have little little people in the house but all medicines were and still are kept in the highest cupboard in the bathroom
We keep our medicines in a high cupboard well out of our toddler’s reach.
Behind the broccoli haha! Just jokes – we keep ours is in a high cupboard and anything without child-proof lids in a lockable box.
After my partners battle with terminal cancer for the safety of all concerned we took endone and other medication in surplus to the pharmacy. Ive always kept medication locked away in high cupboards away from my children.
We keep our medicines up the top in a kitchen cupboard out the reach of little fingers
I keep mine in the cupboard above the fridge. I need a chair to reach them and even then, it’s a stretch!
Educate them on medicines their use and dangers and store them with child proof caps and stored in a locked out of reach cabinet.
Choose child-resistant caps for medicine bottles, lock up medicine cabinets and of course, out of sight out of mind – keep away from within their reach at all times (including on nightstands / bathroom cupboards / bedside tablets etc.).
Our medicines are kept in a big basket in the cupboard above my fridge. This is too high for little hands even if they find a stool. Also having the fridge below makes it even trickier to access the cupboard.
Keep medicines in a locked sturdy cabinet, wherever possible. No point taking chances.
High up in the family safe!
Our medicines are kept in a high cupboard where the kids cant reach them.
I keep all medicines in a case on a high shelf…even I have trouble reaching it!
I have a cupboard up high in the corner of the kitchen that I can bar,he reach myself plus so has a lock on it all medicines and poisons are in there
I keep my medications in a locked first aid box in a high cupboard
High in cupboard, kid proof lid (which is often adult proof too!)
I try to get medicines in child proof bottles, all meds are kept in a tub on top of the pantry (I need a chair & can only just reach it) & I ask all visitors to put handbags up on a shelf.
An air-tight, hard to open container will delay entry into the harmful contents but won’t stop determined little hands and curious minds.
I have all our medicines on a high shelf way out of reach of little hands, i have also discussed with my kids the dangers of them so they know not to touch!
Way up high, out of reach for prying hands
High up in the cupboards that the kids cant get to, also teach them no its poison ( unless your sick)
I keep all my medicines in the highest shelf in the house and constantly explain to my children why medicines are not a sweet or a toy.
Our medicine cupboard is up high and there is no way children could get to them .
I always keep my meds up in the highest cupboard to prevent anything happening
Have a lockable medicine cupboard. If not possible have it in a cupboard way up and no means for kids to get there (no chairs or steps near by).
Our medicine is in a locked box up very high. Even if they managed to get up there they wouldn’t be able to get into it.
Keep them in a place where the kids aren’t able to reach
High up in the shelf , even us adults have trouble reaching for it
Have to admit I’ve been guilty of keeping medicines “just in case” in the past!
Always up high out of reach.
All our medicines are up high out of reach.
The RUM Project is an amazing program. I keep our medicine out of sight of my children in my bedroom wardrobe, away from heat, light and moisture (I never store our medicine in the bathroom because of the moisture).
Always out of reach in the medicine cabinet, which self locks. Can never be too safe.
At the very top of the pantry in a child proof container
Top cupboard in the kitchen even I need a step to reach it in a locked box
In the locked cupboard, at the very top shelf
Our medicines are kept in the highest cupboard above the oven. which is a double no go zone. They cannot reach it even with a chair and they know they’re not allowed near the oven anyway.
I make sure the medicines are in the super hard to reach cabinet and save the low down one for toilet rolls and toothbrushes
A locked cupboard is secure, but a locked bathroom, only for adults’ use can give further peace of mind and added security. Children can be great explorers!
I keep mine in a container on top of the fridge. There is no way the kids can get to it.
I make sure mine are up high out of way in a safe locked container that you need a key to open. Can never be too certain with kids around.
We store ours in our bedroom cupboard away from our boys.
I actually have been thinking about this lately. I have been keeping my medicine in a kitchen drawer and toldf the kids not to go in there, but realised this isn’t safe enough. So I am going to be getting a lockable box for this stuff and keep it in my room.
keep up high and always remember to screw the safety lid back on properly
Keep all medicine high up where kids are not able to reach them.
Our medicines are all up in the top cupboard which i need to stand on a chair to reach!
Both my hubby’s and my medicines are at the top of a locked cupboard.
I have my medicines on top of the cupboard away from my kiddies I love this idea as I have a lot of old medication I need to get rid of! A lock and safe though would be handy s proper medicine cabinet!
I have my medications stored in the cupboard above the fridge so that they are well out of reach from my children. Unused medications are taken back to the chemist, most of the time all scripts are fully utilised therefore not left over.
We have our household medicine in a container in our pantry up high however I now don’t think that is safe enough so when I go through my medicine for unwanted or expired medicine I will dispose of it safely at the pharmacy & then store it up high in a cupboard
Stored up high in the cupboards with locks on so they can’t access any medicines.
We store the medicine box up high in the pantry cupboard away from little inquisitive hands…
In the pantry, quite high. That’s what I did when my daughter was younger.
Apart from keeping them up on the very top shelf of the pantry that I can barely reach myself, telling them it tastes like brussel sprouts is enough to wane their curiousity anyway.
I like to keep everything up high. Can be a pain to get down but worth it when keeping out of the hands of my girls
We have a child lock on the bathroom cupboard. We also have a great high shelf in the laundry for all chemicals. No other medicine is left lying around.
We use a sistema box (the ones with the blue clips which are a bit tricky to open) and store at the top of the pantry where they can’t reach, even with a step ladder.
Everything is kept up high or in the locked first aid kit. We have also educated the kids on medications and not to self administer or use medicines not labelled for them.
I keep ours physically out of reach and where I’m always looking at them.
high, locked in a cabinet and teach your child about medicine safety
What a brilliant initiative! We have all our meds that have child safety lids up out of reach, and bought a simple lockbox from Officeworks to put tablets in, they’re only around $30, too easy for peace of mind. Only last week one of our little ones went to help herself to a baby wipe to clean her face, but accidentally got a packet of disposable Ajax wipes out. A good reminder to us all, it only takes a moment for inquisitive little people to find things they shouldn’t have!
Somewhere they can’t reach and a lockable door.
A locked cabinet that’s mounted high on the wall. And the key stays with me!
Physically out of reach for little people, preferably lockable. Plus we have taught our son from early on about medicine / tablet safety. He knows not to take anything himself, that he needs adult assistance always
A locked cabinet out of reach! Also educate the children when they are a little older and just to be on the safe side keep the poisons information number handy!
By making sure they have childproof caps/lids and are out of reach in a high cupboard that has safety latches
Out of reach
A locked, set high up, cupboard works well.
Keep medicines in an out of reach child proof locked cupboard
I keep the medicine in a high cupboard that the kids can’t reach.
Kept in a high cupboard in the kitchen
A very high cupboard, locked. And yes, educating kids about the dangers of medications is important too.
Child proof your home using proven techniques, mechanical fixings, common sense and a closed door. Also, use all you prescription medicines up as per instructions and keep them in one place/location. E https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/07633b000f942313d3d68e27bbebff58b4fcd469d804c8da4dfecf37c3866c13.jpg very year, on your birthday, the children birthdays, as well as Xmas etc ie any annual dated event, check your expiry dates. Same as changing Smoke Detector battery every April 1st. I also write on every medicine box/pak, first name, basic reason/what for and expiry date in texta. Easy to read and act without making a mission of it.
All our medicine is kept up.high in lockable boxes all labeled in a cupboard. The kids know its out of reach and its not accessible for them. All safe and sound and piece of mind.
IN A LOCKED CUPBOARD FAR ABOVE REACH OF CHILDREN!
I keep all my medicines inside the old washing machine powder inside the laundry room so that kids are not at all interested to either enter the room or to open the box.
We’ve always put prescription medication in an icecream container on the highest shelf in the pantry or kitchen cupboard.
We have small cupboard that is above our stove top where i keep my medicines high out my children reach. I was always taught the dangers of medicine at young age. I have also taught my children the same.
put them into a container
Top shelf in the built in pantry. Even hard for me to reach! I also have a chemist nearby and they dispose of our left over, old or not taken meds.
Medications are kept in a high cupboard in kitchen and there is a baby gate across kitchen so children can only access with an adult.
If they can’t see it, they won’t be tempted. I keep medication at the back of the second highest shelf in the pantry (not top shelf which is for junk food!) which they can’t reach. It’s behind soup packets and the spices which won’t attract their attention.
Always store out of reach! & Never leave medication unsupervised or sitting around after use! Or just teach your children right.
Store all medicines in child proof containers, up high away from children
I keep my medicine in my ensuite bathroom with a child-lock on the cabinet door. I also have a childlock on my bedroom door so they can’t even get into the ensuite…or mess up my bedroom when i’m not looking! It’s such a great idea to return the unwanted medicine to the pharmacy! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ea4ef18799b53eed4e66df0c2a6f71b0a51aa9a7c2504f08654dbdedd93781fd.jpg
We keep our medicines in a big Tupperware container in the cupboard above the fridge, well away from sticky little fingers!
Keep them out of reach of any small hands on a cupboard with childproof latches and ensure that the childproof caps are on properly
Out of sight, out of mind! However, when they are older, children need to be taught about medicines, so they know what to do if they are left out accidentally.
Height is your best friend for keeping meds out of children’s reach. If you can afford it, buy a lock box for an extra level of safety. We need to teach our kids about the dangers of taking medicine that is not for you. Children will be more likely to tell you if they have taken something they shouldn’t if you have a discussion about it in advance!
I keep all medications out of reach and educate my kids of the dangers when they are old enough to understand.
Tucked in a very high cupboard that even I need help reaching for it!
By storing them in the back of a very high cupboard, always out of sight and reach
Out of reach and out of sight!
I didn’t know you can return outdated medicine to pharmacy. I always felt odd putting them in the bin. I recently cleaned out our medicine box but I’m sure I missed something. I’ll check and dispose correctly this time! Cheers for this info, very helpful
We have my mother in laws and hubbys meds up high on a shelf plus they have been told don’t touch
High up in a locked cupboard
I always take olod meds back to the pharmacy, and used to keep them locked up when the children were little
I have a plastic tub that holds all meds. It’s up high in cupboard above the fridge. What a timely competition, I just cleaned up my meds of all out of date ones and have bagged it all to drop into my local pharmacy to dispose of.
Keep them up on the top shelf in the cupboard (I have to stand on a chair to reach them, so they definitely can’t!)
Always keep our medication out of reach, especially after going away for a week and not unpacking properly and finding both my kids playing with medication
Always keep your medicine in a high lockable cupboard. Make sure they can’t climb up on a chair to reach the cupboard.
This is a good campaign. By being more vigilant about expired meds we are keeping ourselves and our kids safe
I’m tall so its pretty easy to keep things up and away from chairs etc they can use to climb up
I have a lockable first aid cabinet that keeps little hands away from medicines!
I keep medicine in the cupboard above the fridge. I need a step ladder to reach it so I know it is out of reach of children.
we have a cupboard up high and the medicines are then in a sealed box
i keep medications in the top cuboard with a key lock on it
Keep it in a locked box!
I keep all medicines in a high cupboard above the fridge so children and pets can not reach. I often go through and throw away expired medication.
All medicines for everyone are in parents basket, and separate basket for kids on top of the fridge,
I am 5 ft 9 ins and I can just reach up to get them down. If I had cupboards above fridge that’s were they would be. I have insulin in my fridge, the needles are on top.
I place my medicines in a sealed box in a closed cupboard above the fridge. If the kids can’t see them they usually aren’t interested in what they are.
In the medicine cabinet which is up high, can also lock it if I thought they could grab a chair to reach
Great Initiative!
Yep common sense and care prevails.
Keep your medications up high, high, high!
Mines in a container out of reach. Although thinking of getting a lockable container from experience of being 1 of those children sent to hospital from getting into the medicine(i was not my daughter)
I think this is a great way to make everyone aware. I keep medications in a sealed plastic container on the very top shelf of the cupboard that I can hardly reach. When I had young ones around it was kept closed with a coded bike lock.
In a locked container up high.
Anything remotely medicinal is up high and out of sight. We also emphasise to our children that medicines are not treats, and should never to be taken without mum & dad.
Tin box, up high….kids are a little older no (7 & 9) and understand it’s a no-go area for them.
A high cupboard away from reach. Also education helps if the children ever do gain access to it,
As a mum with two autistic children, I am very aware that medical things and medications. I have a medicine cabinet with a locked. It needs PIN numbers to unlocked. I checked expired dates and changed pin numbers regularly .My husband told people about our medicine cabinet story. Just want to keep my kids safe and peace of mind.
I keep them in a high kitchen cupboard.My son can not reach them. He is 5 years old.I have tought him that we have to be careful with medicine. We even read a book about it.
I keep my medicines stored on a high shelf in a lockable tin, with the key to open it stored in a separate, high place
in a high cupboard
Our medicines are kept up high and I have explained why children can’t have access to medicines to them.
Keep them out of sight so inquisitive eyes can’t see them and preferably somewhere locked so little fingers can’t touch them.
As high as possible!
We keep our medicines in our bedroom out of sight out of mind, my kids aren’t aloud in the room without permission
Ours are kept in the highest cupboard and we don’t show the kids where ours are. Their panadol and medicine is kept in the fridge in the veg crisper as the kids don’t go in their
Locked up where she is unable to get to anything and educating her about medicines and why they are unattainable. Fortunately she shows no interest in them anyway 🙂
I put it in a cabinet high up that cannot be reached and in a container that is child proof
Use a cash box with a lock to keep medications away from curious little fingers, put the key safely out of reach or use a combination padlock so you don’t have to worry about losing the key!
Up in the top cupboard where even I need a step ladder.
Using a container with a lock and keeping up on the man hole.. only way to keep my monkeys from finding them thats for sure haha.. 🙂
I put all medication in a cupboard above the fridge. I can only reach them with a chair so I know they’re save in there
We keep our in the cupboard above the rangehood, in boxes named and categorised. Each petsons individual box also contains any repeats for prescriptions.
We keep medication up on the highest shelf in baskets with name tags on them.
I take about 20 medications a day….a lot. So it’s been important for a long time to have a safe & secure place for them. I bought a very large plastic food container and I keep all of my medications that are being used clipped up, safe & secure in this and place it up the top of a lounge room cupboard and all of the stock of medications I have I keep in another large container, in a shelf that sits above the fridge, not even the cat can jump up there. And I always take my old meds back to the pharmacy to dispose of.
Hidden away in a locked cabinet
Up high with nothing nearby to stand on
Keep them up high and in a locked place, put all medicine away immediately after use, make sure the child cap is closed properly, teach your kids medicine safety, tell any guests about medicine safety (in case they have some medicines in their handbags etc), and be prepared in case of emergency with the poison hotline number predominantly displayed somewhere..
I put it up in the cupboard and I let my kids know that they are not allowed to get anything unless they ask me.
Place it up high where they can’t reach it
All my medicines are in the laundry cabinet which is 5ft off the ground
My little one is to young to be getting into our medicine cabinet. But what I’ve learnt from my parents is we place our medication in a box that has a lock. thats high up in a shelf.
The higher up the better!
Teach them about medicines so they know to tell you if they see a pack rather than touching and explain why they are kept up high out of reach.
A cheap safe from bunnings warehouse would work.
So so important ,,, I keep my medications in a locked case in my ensuite – away from little hands that visit ,,,
mine are up high in a kitchen cupboard that has been clearly out of bounds for my children.
I keep all medicines in a storage box in the top of my cupboard
All of our medicine is kept in the kitchen cupboard above the fridge. The only way I can reach it is by standing on a chair… most times I can’t be bothered unless its an emergency LOL
Locked cupboard. Most people underestimate the ability of children to climb and to ignore instructions – these just pique their curiosity.
Up on the tallest shelf in a container and then the cupboard is locked as well
Out of reach & explain to them why
As a mum with two special needs children, I locked all chemical medicines and natural skincare products away from my kids. It really helps my mind and reducing worries everyday. Our local pharmacy has friendly services , so I dumped all unwanted medications and expired medicines at our local pharmacy . Australia has fabulous health system to provide safe environment for everyone. I love this service.
Teach them from a young age that any tablets can be dangerous, and keep them out of reach/sight as well.
in a container with a clickable lock (they cant figure them out yet), placed in the highest spot in our kitchen
use common sense. If a child can reach something dangerous to them,it should’nt be there. If it ‘must’ be there, lock it
High up or in a locked cabinet
In a locked cupboard and teaching them right from a young age they are not to touch!!
Shelf above our hangehood because the kids can not reach it and if they could I’d lock it. Also need to educate them that tablets aren’t lollies.
We have a little cabinet that has a lock on it. It’s about the size of a bedside table and can be moved around. We put it up on top of our fridge.
All medicines are locked up using a combination lock. Means I don’t have to worry about the kids finding the key and getting curious and that they are kept safe 🙂
I put them on top shelf of our linen cupboard with slide lock up top out of reach of grandsons
In a special click lid box out of reach (high cupboard). It’s also important to educate them in case they come across ‘sweets’ in a handbag of a visitor
A locked cupboard!
Keep medicines In a high cupboard and educate from early on about the dangers. Also keep mine in child proof containers
High cupboard with a lock normally. But I do have a draw that is very unassailable which has my pill in.
A high cupboard that’s locked
We keep medicines up high above the pullout rangehood, even I need a step to get to it. We make sure we always put it away even though most of them have safety caps. And as simple as it sounds I always check with my partner and he with me as to when we last gave our little ones medicine as I a friend of mine did OD there child by mum and dad giving him the medicine, luckily he was just sleepy.
The high cupboard above the fridge that’s locked with a child proof lock, you can never be too careful around young inquisitive minds.
Any medicine we have is stored in our bedroom safe.
We have locks on all our cupboards so the only people that can get into a cupboard is myself and my husband.
We keep our medicines in a locked filing cabinet, 2nd top draw, little ones cant reach yet but as they grow this method may need to change to keep up with heights.
i keep mine up super high and locked with a child proof lock that only we have the strength to open
I keep mine in a box up the top of the cupboard, out of reach of kids. I haven’t heard of this initiative, but glad I now can dispose of medicines in a safe manner!
IKEA sells a funky red medicine cabinet named GUNNERN for only $39! It has a childproof lock and an extra key. So practical and so cute.
I keep my medicines in a sealed container, up in the highest kitchen cupboard.
My medicines are on top of the fridge – I have to get a stool to get them so hopefully that means my kids can’t reach them either
All medicine is bought as needed, and thrown out after illness or we complete the whole script. I very rarely have panadol etc etc just laying around, we just grab it as we need it.
I keep all medicines in a snap lock tub, way up high out of reach.
We keep our medicines in a high cupboard with an (even higher) latch on it. I also do a clear out a few times a year to make sure we’re not hanging onto stuff we don’t need anymore.
in a lockable cabinet in the kitchen up high
store everything high and in a locked box or cupboard if possible!
Keep them up high out of reach in a hard to open container
It’s important to keep them up high stored in a cupboard with a child safety lock
I store mine in the cupboard above the fridge! Nice and high and away from tiny inquisitive hands!
I put them in a cabinet that even I can’t reach properly.
Up high in a locked cupboard or cabinet
Due to an illness I take several medications.
Theses are kept in a safe in master bedroom.
in a locked cabinet high in the kitchen
Great to get awareness out there ot this important subject. We keep our in a high out of reach cabinet. Very important with 3 small children. Thank you
Keep caps on at all times and eyes on children at all times a locked cupboard for ALL medicine and harmful products
All medicines are kept up high, out of reach of little hands! As my children are a little older now I also make sure to educate them on the importance of not touching medications.
I don’t really have any little children visit anymore only teenagers but still keep tablets etc in a high cupboard above the microwave
In every house I have lived there has always been that high cupboard above the stove or fridge – that’s always the medicine cupboard – up high in a box where little hands cannot reach. Always put medicines away as soon as you are finished with them. Always talk to your children and teach them the importance of medicine safety.
Common sense, up high in locked cupboards.
I always store mine in the highest cupboard in the house and have had many talks about poisons and medicines with my child
It’s a no brainer,…..keep them up high where children can’t reach. If they can be locked away, well, that’s even better.
By teaching them from day one that medicine is not for them, not delicious, not yummy, not lollies, but that if they take it without Mummy or Daddy giving it to them, then they will get really sick or die. Harsh, yes, but it’s true, and there’s no softening things up here. My children will not grow up to be a part of this pandered to, pussy footed around generation. If it was good for me, it’s good for mine. No tip, no trick, just cold, hard reality. That and keeping medications stored away sensibly, bot lying around where curious hands can get to them.
* not
I like the child proof caps but on top of that store in a locked cupboard which is out of their reach.
With very convincing stories! They constantly see their unwell Granddad taking pain medication when he’s over or we’re visiting, and one time my youngest thought he’d try to take some too & thanks to quick thinking Gran (my Mum) she said not to take them blah blah blah for all the practical & truthful reasons, and then added that if you take medicine that’s not for you, your hair will fall out, ‘just look at Grandad’. The kids are now terrified of the medicine cabinet, neither of them wanting to go bald hahahahahaha
We keep all our in a lock box
Definitely in a secure box, away from little eyes and fingers! As they get older, we can educate them on the dangers of medication however at this stage, they just know that medicine is bad unless Mummy or Daddy give it to them.
Keep them well out of reach and make sure there is nothing they can climb on to get extra height.
Find a place in your home that is too high for your child to reach or see. Walk around your house and decide on the safest place to keep your medicines and vitamins. Because some children can climb (using the toilet or countertops), locked cabinets are the safest place to keep your medicines and vitamins.
Locked cabinet with combination lock that you NEVER allow them to see you unlock.
Up high in a locked cabinet – it really is a case of the most simple response being the most effective 🙂
A cabinet that is out of reach of the kids. also has a child safe lock on it that they can’t open.
Up high where little hands can’t reach, with extra safety locks as some kids can climb early.
Put all medicines well away and hidden from children
Put medicines up out of reach of children but also teach them the responsibilities and dangers of taking medicines incorrectly
I have kept mine in the same place for 30 years, in a cupboard in the kitchen high out of reach of little hands. All in a plastic basket that I can lift out of the cupboard. Every 6 months or so I have a clean out of old medicines, which I have thrown out in the bin in the past. But will be taking to the chemist from now on.
Locked cabinet
Cut away the used tablet bubbles so you’ll always know how many tablets remain and therefore if your child has accidentally ingested a tablet.
We have a locked cabnet that is at my eye level and unreachable for littlies
I store them up high in locked medicine cabinets.
Keep it in high locked cabinets.
I regularly return old medicines to my local pharmacy. No good throwing them in the bin, that’s bad for the environment too.
Mine is kept in the top of the kitchen cupboard. Same place my mum used to and still keeps hers.
We have a lockable cabinet up high, medicines kept safe away from prying eyes.
I keep all medications in s clearly marked medical box,up very high.I also keep those deadly little lithium batteries in there as I would not want them to be mistakenly eaten also.
We keep ours up high where the kids can’t reach. We have spoken to them and continue to do so about how important it is to not take anything you don’t know what it is and even shown them how medicine can look like lollies.
We keep all medicine in the cupboard above the fridge… even I have to wait for my husband to come home to get me something from there because I can’t reach haha
Keep it high and dry!
we keep our’s at the top of the pantry – too high for the kids to reach!
It’s up high out of their reach and my husband and I hand it out as needed.
I keep medicine high in the cupboard so non of the kids can reach
Mine is kept in a cooler bag on the top shelf in my pantry where the kids can’t reach and if needed to be in fridge in the highest shelf.
at the very top of kitchen cupboard in a box
Cupboard above the fridge
i put them up lock and key and when expired take them to chemist
i put them under lock and key high up out of site and when finished left overs take to chemist i explain to children about medications
i have a lock up medicine box thats kept high up on the kitchen shelve inother locked cupboard, always safley away
A high, high cupboard with a child safety catch. too high for our little climbers to reach standing on a chair, a high chair or even standing on the kitchen bench. Medicines past their use, or use by date, are returned to the pharmacy.
We have our medicine stored in a locked container in a high cupboard above the fridge
Out of eye sight and out of mind- right?. We have our medication in an air tight container in our dark walk in wardrobe on the top shelf. It’s upstairs and For 3 great reasons, with pet spiders in our dark wardrobe, the kids really don’t venture in. We keep these medications up high and in an air tight container so there is not much chance of spillage or for little hands accessing them in the unlikely event they do get their hands on it. It is in the safe place away from children and an accessible place for adults… win- win.
The photo that I included shows the medication that I will return to the chemist today on top of our pet spider’s cage and the air tight container on top shelf in front of Dad’s beloved model cars and airoplanes 🙂
As a mum with two autistic children, I am trying everything to provide safe environment for my family and pets. I keep all medicines in a security cupboard with PIN numbers. I educate my kids about safty of medicine knowledge, just in case.
All kept up in the highest cabinet. Kids can’t even reach when standing on a chair!
Keep everything out of reach!
Locked cabinet stored up high out of reach!
I have a cupboard fixed to the wall out of reach of the kids in the bathroom which is the one room they are not allowed in without my supervision.
Our medicines are kept in a locked container at the top of the fridge as we live in Darwin and its the only place cool to keep medicines – all others in the cupboard above the fridge (where even I need a chair to get to and then only just reach)
We keep it up on a high shelf in the storage cupboard where the kids can’t rach it. Locked cupboard would probably be better, but this works for now.
I lock my medicine high up in the cupboard above our fridge.
It’s even high for me to reach. Better to be safer than sorry.
We have a medicine cupboard that is up high, well out of reach- even I struggle to reach the top shelf within the cupboard!
We store the medicines nice and high on a shelf
Out of each of kids who could hurt themselves 🙂
Using a first aid box stored up high to keep little fingers from getting into them
We keep our medication on a high shelf in the adults bathroom
We keep our medicines in a hig cupboard that is actually difficult to open. Ideally I’d like them in a lockable cupboard.
We keep our medication in a tight box above our fridge where the kids can’t reach it
All of our medicines are kept in a high cupboard and any in the bathroom are behind a child proof locked door.
We actually have a combination lock on our medicine cabinet. It is a practice used by my parents and as I thought it made sense, I adopted it as part of my household policies.
We store ours in a container locked with a combination lock, on the highest shelf in cupboard with a high handle. The cupboard also has a child “proof” safety latch and the handle had a cover so the knob can’t be turned.
We keep our medications in a plastic tub on the top shelf of the pantry, up high where he kids can’t reach.
We also regularly discuss that medicines are only ever given by adults, and that vitamins may look like lollies but they are medicine.
I use safety lock for our medicine cabinet. 🙂
I check my medications on the 1st of every month to make sure things havent expired and top up any items we may need.
In a drawer up high, which is inside a locked storage cupboard. I write the expiry date with big black artline on each medicine or box, so throwing out expired ones is a much easier job.
I keep them in the very top cupboard in a locked medicine chest. I will admit reading this has prompted me to get my unused insulin from having Gestational diabetes and hand into the pharmacy.
I keep them in the medicine container up high in the cupboard above the fridge. Found some of my daughter’s old Epipen i wasn’t sure of how to dispose of. Thank you RUM project for the infos!
Keep Medicine in a child proof container and in a very high cupboard
Out of reach and an explanation as to why. I’m thinking of getting a locked cabinet though.
Child lock and out of sight, out of mind!
In a container on the top shelf above the fridge. I even have trouble reaching it!
Keep it up high and out of reach of tiny hands, maybe even in a locked box
out of sight placed in cupboards above preferably locked .
Keep them in a locked chest in a magical cave, guarded by a fierce dragon…or if you don’t have a magical cave at home then a high cupboard with a lock will do just as well. 🙂
We keep medicine in a high up cabinet which my kids cant reach, But we also speak about tablets etc and how they should not touch them if they see them about
We keep our medicines up high in the cabinet away where they cannot be seen
Our medicine is kept on the top shelf of the pantry where little ones cant see or reach them
Our medications are stored in the cupboard above the cooker , being 5 feet tall l need a step adder to get them so l am 100 percent sure the kids cannot get them
It’s hard to keep the medicines out as accident could happen. I reckon the best way would be to train your kids to stay away from the medicines, just like when they see a knife or fire.
We keep ours up and away on the highest shelf in the top cupboards in our kitchen.
Quite simply we just put it up high and have attached a lock to the cupboard so even if the kids manage to get up that high they still can’t open the door
On my bedside table
mine are kept in the highest cupboard in the kitchen above the fridge
I simply put all medicines up and away and out of sight including my own. I always make sure that all medicine and vitamins are stored out of reach and out of sight of children. I make extra sure that the medicine caps are closed tightly with child-resistant caps for medicine bottles.
Always keep medicines high up and out of reach of children, never where they can get at them!
All medicines are kept in a high cupboard away from little hands
keep all my tablets locked up.
All medication is put in a container on top of our fridge.
Put all the medicine in a big box at the higher cabinet which the kids cannot reach it
Our are out high leven al a back of cupboard in containers so child’s can’t reach
I have always cleared my medicine cabinet every 6 months, and given all expired or unneeded medicines to the pharmacy for disposal. I have always felt embarrassed doing this-as some pharmacy staff appear to be surprised by my disposal request, of sometimes a huge bag of medicines!
Thank you MC for this article 🙂
My tip: keep all medications in one dark and cool area, out of reach to young kids-and only keep medications you need.
You should need a small ladder to access medicines- they can never be high enough
Out of sight, out of mind
Way up top where the kids can’t find
Inside a box with a lock
And educate the kids with a first aid talk
I put them in the highest cupboard I can
I have a pantry with very high shelves so I keep medicines up high where I can barely reach them let alone my kids.
I’ve got my medicines in the highest cupboard in a container that has a tight lid. I just hope this is enough.
We have a lock on our cupboard with medicines
Above the fridge…
I keep medicines high up in my laundry cupboard…out of sight and out of reach.
I have a large travel bag that is lockable that I keep in a cupboard above my fridge.
Keep all medicines in high cabinet and explain to our childrrn what they are, what they are for.
We keep all of our medicines in our top cupboards that are on the wall, our kids have been told that they aren’t lollies & can only be given by an adult.
Always in a locked cabinet with the key kept in a separate hard to reach place!
High shelf of pantry with full explanation of what’s there, what they’re for and why only Mummy or Daddy can administer anything from it.
Education from really young and keeping them out of reach!
Start teaching early that medicines aren’t lollies and only to be given by a parent. I have also discussed with my older child about only taking pills given to them by a parent or doctor.
We have a box of medications up above the fridge where they can’t be reached and nothing looks appealing. The kids were taught from a really young age about medicines and when we need to take them and that we don’t ever touch them without mum because they can be really dangerous.
I keep all medicines in the top of the medicine cabinet and teach my son that medicines are dangerous and only to be taken when given from me.
I label all medication and lock in a cupboard.
For love of my family, I locked all our medications in a security closet as my mother has dementia and my kids are autistic. It is a common sense with a simple idea.
put a reminder in my phone to check them every 3 months
What a great idea to have a safe place to return and destroy old medicines. Guess what im off to do right now!!
All our medicines are up high out of reach of curious little people. This cupboard has a child lock on it.
I always keep Medicines etc, well out of sight & up high. But when I say up high, know to well how clever Children can be at working out a way to climb, so I mean I put them really high under lock & key. I also make sure, there is no way possible for them to climb where I put them just to be extra safe! I know I have a Massive batch of out of Date Medications & will as I always do, take them to the Chemist to dispose off. That’s the safest way to get rid of them. So yes, returning them tomorrow & will take a pic first. But as most People know it’s not just Prescription Medication, it can be anything from Vitamins, Laxatives, Cough mixtures etc. Keep not only our Children safe but also our Visitors Children.
We have a medication box. Instead of hiding and placing high out of reach I have explained to them that they can only have medication with adult supervision. Informing them of the dangers worked better for us. Both my kids 10 and 7 understand and wont touch but this is due to their ages as well
I am on daily medication and I use a medilock box for my medication. It’s simple, safe and tidy. I would recommend them to everyone. They come in different sizes too which is handy.
Thank you for sharing this article. It is a good reminder for us especially the part on disposing medicines properly. Many of us are guilty of throwing out unwanted medication together with other household garbage. Not many people actually knew about the RUM project. From now on, I am going to return all unwanted medicines to our local pharmacy for proper disposal and encourage my family and friends to do so too.
Always keep them up high and away from inquisitive fingers and mouths.
Thanks for the timely reminder about disposing expired or unused medications.
We keep medicines in a locked cabinet and I go through it every 6 months to return unneeded or out of date items to the pharmacy.
Be alert to visitors’ medicine. Guests in your home may not be thinking about the medicine they brought with them in their belongings. When you have guests in your home, offer to put purses, bags and coats out of reach of children to protect their property from a curious child.
I feel the best way to keep medicine in a safe plave away from children is to store it in the same manner as that stated in childcare regulations. I will be storing all of my medicines in a locked medicine box either on a high shelf or in a refrigerator with a safety lock. The keys will then be hung on a high placed hook on the back pf the pantry door away from both boxes and in a place inaccessable to children
We keep ours in a locked container in the highest cupboard. We decided not to put a child lock on so they wouldn’t be tempted by the ‘forbidden’ vibe.
I keep them up high away from little hands!
Having a medicine box for everything to stay in makes it easier to keep track of where everything is and even easier to check date’s on everything. Using a white board marker, write the date you checked it and that way you always know where you are up to!
When my children were young medicines were kept up high, and when we moved and had a second bathroom, no medicines were kept in the children’s bathroom. Now all medicines are kept altogether in a basket, that way as soon as we have young ones visiting, it’s easy to pick up the whole basket and put the whole thing high in the pantry.
Keep them in a high cabinet or on top of cupboards or on top of the fridge
Thanks for the reminder. Need to clean out the cupboard soon.
Always keep medicine in original packaging & highlight expiry date
Put all medicine up and away and out of sight including your own. Make sure that all medicine and vitamins are stored out of reach and out of sight of children.
Locked in a metal first aid box
Key kept separately and its locks
Placed high in adult bathroom out of sight
But checked for old medication and discussed so not to cause fright
Put medicines up and away and out of children’s reach and sight.
Making sure medicine is always stored out of sight, in a lockable box is best. However after finding a tablet on a motel room floor and also on the floor while visiting a relative I now always visually check the floor for anything dangerous wherever we go to new places.
Store all medicines — prescription and nonprescription — out of sight and out of reach of children, preferably in a locked cabinet.
Make sure purses and bags,yours and guests, that could contain poisonous items (such as medicine) are kept out of the reach of kids at all times.
Keep medicines high, out of reach
telling kids about the danger, teach!
Child proof lids and a key
keeping them safe
the way to be 😀
Lock the child safety cap completely — until you hear the click — after every time you use a medicine.
Keep medicines in a safe place and educate family on the correct usage, storage and dosing instructions so they know what is right and wrong.
Keep them up high and educate my child – let them know the dangers and benefits of medicines.
Up high in a locked cupboard and any drugs in tablets are placed inside a locked box inside in the locked cupboard
In a locked cupboard up high & the key hidden only my husband & i know about with 4 kids i am very cautious about this
I have a basket with all medication in it up in a high cupboard that the kids can not reach. If I have any that needs to be kept in the fridge, I put it in the top compartment out of sight and out of reach.
I keep mine at the top of the pantry in a box, and the pantry has a child lock on it.
Keep in locked cabinet
I have a lock on my cupboard and I keep it up high so they cannot access it even with a chair
Cupboard up high and latched closed
Having worked as a pharmacy assistant for over 20 years I think this is a great project. I care for my elderly mum and take care of all her medications thus making sure none have expired or that she doesn’t unknowingly take the wrong medicine.
I keep them up high and out of reach.
I keep ours up high in a lockable cabinet, so even if they can reach it with a chair, they cannot open it.
Keep them high under lock & key!
keep all medicins out of childrens reach, keep them in original packaging, so less inviting for children and harder for little fingers to get into.
1) Never put anything in your mouth without first asking Mummy!
2) Make it a rule at home to always put medicine and supplements away after taking them in a child-locked cupboard high up (same spot we store all batteries).
3) Explain to child that medicines and supplements are not candies.
I keep all medicines and vitamins in a basket on the top shelf of the pantry at the very back so its way too hard for little paws to reach, even with a chair! It’s so high I can barely reach them myself!
always keep it locked up and secure out of little hands
Mine is locked in a container that is progressively getting filled with out of date medicines that you have just reminded me I need to take to the pharmacist.
Popping medicines in a lock box, out of reach and out of sight!!
First aid box, way up high.
so little fingers cannot pry!
Safety lids, box locked
old medicines disposed of
local chemist we stopped 😀
Seperate cupboard locked with a key.
All our medicines are locked so the kids cant see!
Keep medicines in a locked box and dispose of all medicines at your local pharmacy for extra safety.
Always in a high cupboard with no chance of easy access by climbing up on to things and if necessary using a lock or child-proof lock.
We store all medication in a lockbox, stored in an area out of reach of the children.
Always keep medicines in a cupboard with a latch & up very high because kids love to climb
My medications are always kept on the highest shelf in the kitchen cupboard. Once my little one is moving about etc I will be putting a childproof lock on this cupboard too.
All the medicines in our house are out of children’s reach, even though until such time as our baby is born, we only have the occasional visit from nieces and nephews.
I have taught my kids not to touch tablets, however I do keep them in the cupboard above the fridge where they cannot reach. Can’t just a child’s adventurous minds!
Don’t rely on packaging to protect your kids, keep up high or in a locked box.
Lock them up and put them up high
Store them in a locked cabinet….that way no risk.
In the don’t touch box on top of the fridge. He knows they’re tablets and can hurt him as they’re just for adults.
In a high cupboard that I have problems reaching!
Up high in a locked cabinet AND if they are in the fridge we put them in a lockable container – so little hands cant get at them
In the highest cupboard on the highest shelf in the kitchen
Keep medicine up high in the cupboard above the fridge. Even i need a chair to get to it so the kids definitely cant get to it!
I have a medilock container which is a sturdy container with a special latch to use to open it. Too hard for little kiddy hands. They come in a range of sizes. I keep meds in there but also out of reach. More importantly I have had conversations with my son about not putting medications/tablets in his mouth. And if he finds any medicine he is to give it to me.
We have a cabinet that is out of reach for little hands and is locked all the time! Of course, for extra safety, we have different boxes of all shapes and sizes that store different medicines and those are locked as well with a small locket!
Keep it in the tallest cupboard (even standing on a chair they can’t reach it!) and making sure to keep track of what’s stored away there.
Keep them in a sealed plastic container out of reach
Keep medicines in a high locked cupboard.
Keep medicines up high in a cupboard that has a handle installed at a higher level and make sure there are no chairs within easy dragging distance.
If you don’t have a high cupboard or medicine cabinet my tip is to invest in a Lockable box eg. Large petty cash tin.
I keep my medicines in the cupboard above our microwave. I need a step to get up there so there’s no way my 6 month old will get up there any time soon.
We have a locked cupboard on the wall in the laundry. Children generally dont find the laundry interesting and its high up and locked.
I keep everything up high in a locked cupboard
We keep all items out of reach. They say even vitamins can be dangerous when you consume too much so even they are put away ESPECIALLY the gummi type as they taste like lollies. I think talking with your kids about medicine safety is important too. Just saying don’t touch can just peak even more curiosity. Let them know why and help them to understand why.
Up high in a locked container or cupboard.
Always keep medicine out of their reach. Up high in a cupboard where they can’t see and won’t mistake for lollies!
A sealed container at the back of a high cupboard – It’s so high that I have trouble reaching it!
We store our medicines in purpose built containers that have secure lids and keep them up high and out of reach.
Medication goes up high, away from young prying eyes, keep it locked if you can, we don’t want unwanted accidents.
We actually have a medicine cupboard in our en suite, up high and locked. Gotta get through 3 doors and work out the combination! 😀
we keep a locked medicine cabnit inside our pantry up high.
1) Clearly label the medicines with use by date
2) Keeping them safe and secure inside medicine kit
3) Making the medicine kit totally out of reach for younger kids
4) Educate every kid with life lessons on handling medicines
5) Throw out expired medications – better safe than sorry!
Keeping medicine out of sight, behind locked cabinet doors and in locked boxes or in a container which looks boring to children is essential, and it is especially important to keep those boxes up at a height beyond their reach!
All medicines are locked away up high and out of reach!
Keep up high free from where little hands can pry!
I always keep them high in the medicine cupboard
Locked cabinet in the cupboard above the fridge! That keeps the little folk away from medicines…
Locked cupboard up high and out of sight.
Use an old lockable cash tin
We have a lockable box kept on the top shelf where little hands can’t reach and even if they do, can’t open.
I keep medicine locked away in a sealed plastic container at the top of my pantry.
The best way is to have a wardrobe out of reach, I have one that is in a locked up non see through box which will avoid any temptation for them to open it up.