Pharmacists' poison prevention advice to the elderly.
Up to 36% of childhood ingestions take place in grandparents' homes. We surveyed the 1544 registered pharmacists in the state of Nebraska by a mailed anonymous questionnaire concerning their poison prevention practices with the elderly. Of the 26% respondents, 75% always or usually gave older adults a choice of child-resistant containers but estimated that 65% chose non-child-resistant containers. Fifty-two percent reported that they asked older adults about children who could possibly ingest medications, and 59% reported that they had poison prevention material available. However, over 50% of pharmacists reported that they neither actively counseled nor handed out poison prevention material to the elderly, and only 9% reported that they specifically advise older adults about poison prevention. If all pharmacists targeted poison control education to the elderly, childhood poisoning by drugs could be reduced by one-third.
Walburn
J N
JN
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Mid-Plains Poison Control Center, Omaha.
Benson
B E
BE
Burga
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003376:Counseling; D004349:Drug Packaging / Q000379:methods*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009329:Nebraska; D010595:Pharmacists; D011041:Poisoning / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires