Knowing How to Read Over-the-Counter Medication Labels

With all the over-the-counter medications available to us, it is important that we know how to read the labels that contain all the drug facts. Labels provide information for individuals to follow when using the medication. This information includes what the medicine is supposed to do, who should or should not take it, and how to take it properly.

Most drug facts labels are easy to read and should be understandable. But if you do have more questions, do not hesitate to ask a doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare professional about your concerns. The drug facts label is easy to read and uses simple language to explain directions, warnings and inactive ingredients.

Below, we have laid out for you the order in which all over-the-counter medication is required to be shown on the drug facts label.  We have also provided a sample of how a drug facts label will appear on the medication bottle.

Active Ingredients: The Active Ingredients section of the label tells you the names of the active ingredients and what those ingredients are used for (i.e., to relieve pain, suppress a cough or reduce a fever). There can be more than one active ingredient in each medication.

Uses: This section will list the symptoms the medicine is made to treat.

Warnings: This section will list possible side effects, if you should talk to a doctor before using the medication, and what medicines you should not take at the same time as that medication. It will also list any other important safety information such as when to stop taking a medication and when to talk to a doctor.

Directions: This section will tell you how much of the medication you should take and how often you can take it. It will also list the maximum amount you should take in one day. 

Other Information: This section of the label, you can find information regarding how to store the medication (i.e. what temperature it should be stored at, and when the medicine will expire)

Inactive Ingredients: This section will list ingredients such as preservatives, flavoring, food coloring and other ingredients not used to actually treat the symptoms. This is a good place to check for any possible food allergies.

Questions or Comments: This section should provide a number for the company who makes the medication, in the event that you need to contact them with comments or questions regarding the medication.

Here are a few points to remember when taking over-the-counter medication:

·         These medications need to be treated with the same care and caution as prescription medications.

·         If you have any questions regarding your medication, please do not hesitate to ask your doctor, pharmacist or a nurse practitioner.

·         Always follow the dosing recommendations listed on the medication.

·         Make sure medicine is put up and out of sight.

If you or someone you know has been poisoned or taken the wrong medication, please call 1-800-222-1222.

Celebrate National Poison Prevention Week

The number of people who die each year from accidental poisoning is staggering, but by getting information out, we can eliminate many poisonings and save lives. This week marks the 50^th anniversary of Poison Prevention Week and is an important time to become better informed about how to keep yourself and your family safe from unintentional poisoning.

A poison is considered as any substance, including medications, which can be harmful to your body if too much is ingested, inhaled, injected or absorbed through the skin. An accidental poisoning occurs when a person unintentionally takes too much of a substance and does not mean to cause harm.

More than 2 million poisonings are reported each year to the Nation’s poison centers. And according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, approximately 90 percent of poisonings happen at home, and 51 percent of them involve children under the age of six.

Poisons are all around us and can affect anyone. Learn how to protect yourself and others by learning how to prevent a poison from happening.

How to Prevent Poisonings

-       Only take prescription medications that are prescribed to you by a healthcare professional. By misusing or abusing prescriptions, you put your health at risk and could unintentionally get poisoned.

-       Always take the correct dosage of a medication prescribed to you. Never take more than the recommended amount.

-       Follow the directions on prescription medications and be aware of all the warning labels. Some medicines cannot be taken safely if mixed with other substances such as alcohol.

-       Check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure different medications prescribed to you do not interact in a harmful way.

-       Always monitor the use of medicines prescribed to a child or teenager so that the correct dosage is always taken.

-       Never describe medicine to children as candy in order to get them to take it. If they think it is candy and get a hold of it, it could lead to an overdose and serious consequences.

-       Dispose of unused or unwanted medications. There is no need to have extra medication floating around the house that someone could accidently get into and take without your knowledge.

-       Store all medications and household products out of reach of children. Keep medications in a secure location.

-       Make sure to keep medications in their original containers so no one accidently takes the wrong medication.

What to Do if a Poisoning Occurs

In the event that you or someone with you has been poisoned, first remain calm. Then, immediately dial 9-1-1 if the person has collapsed or is not breathing. If the victim is awake and alert, call the toll-free Poison Help line right away, 1-800-222-1222, which connects you to your local poison center. Make sure to have the following information handy:

-       victim’s height and weight

-       the container or bottle that provides what the victim was poisoned with

-       when the poisoning occurred

-       the location of the poisoning

Stay on the phone with the poison control specialist or 9-1-1 operator and follow all the instructions you are given. For more information on accidental poisonings and what you can do to protect yourself and loved ones, visit www.poisonprevention.org.

Texas Poison Control Network: http://www.poisoncontrol.org/

National Severe Weather Preparedness Week

This week (March 3-9, 2013) marks National Severe Weather Preparedness Week. This week aims to bring more awareness to the importance of planning and practicing how and where to take shelter when severe weather strikes your area. Being prepared for imminent weather is so important because it could be a matter of life or death, depending on the severity of the situation.

Not only is it important for your family and loved ones to be prepared for severe weather, but it is also important that your neighbors and friends are prepared as well. We can make sure that happens by spreading the word and inspiring others to make sure they are prepared for all types of weather that could come their way.

Every year people are killed or seriously injured by severe weather (this includes tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and other types of severe weather) even if they get advanced warning. Last year, there were over 450 weather-related deaths and almost 2,600 injuries. By being prepared for severe weather and acting when we are told to evacuate, we can diminish these numbers of tragedies.

FEMA and NOAA are asking families, communities and businesses to be a force of nature and take a pledge to be prepared. You can find the pledge here: http://www.ready.gov/severe-weather. Being prepared for severe weather includes developing a family communications plan, putting an emergency kit together, keeping important papers and valuables in a safe place, and getting involved in your community preparedness plans for when severe weather strikes.

Here are a few tips from NOAA on what you can do to be prepared. Remember, this is the most important thing we can do to protect our families and each other when severe weather strikes. And remember, if you ever find yourself in an emergency situation and need help please do not hesitate to call 9-1-1.

·         Make sure you and your family members know about your surroundings and risk for specific weather. Stay informed with weather alerts.

·         Have an emergency plan in place. Practice this plan with your family and post it in a common area where visitors can see it.

·         Consider working with neighbors, friends and co-workers to create a network emergency plan. Discuss needs such as care for children, pets and those who utilize medical equipment and medication.

·         Identify an appropriate shelter in your home and community area.

·         Learn how to strengthen your home against severe weather.

·         Find out from local government how you will be notified of disasters and sign up for alerts if possible.

Be a Force of Nature: http://youtu.be/ZVV_CAsUi54

Public Service Announcement Contest

Social media is alive and well, and as public educators, we need to utilize that through our  9-1-1 education efforts both locally and nationally. So how can we do that in a positive and engaging way?

It seems what we are missing the most, is content. By content, we mean information that you can add to your website that will help engage your community. By having the public visit your site, you gain the ability to provide them with answers to questions and input that is desperately wanted and needed.

Content can be developed in many ways, which is why we decided to create an online public service announcement contest. We are looking for participation from any public safety entity (Fire, Police, and 9-1-1) interested in creating a 9-1-1 public education message! The 911safety.org website is sponsoring the online PSA contest to help boost public education efforts.

Here is how the contest will work: Any 9-1-1 entity can participate! All you need to do is produce a 30-second Public Service Announcement dealing with 9-1-1 education. The PSA will be used to help communities better understand the important topics we have on 9-1-1 public education. Whether it be providing the tips on when to call or what to say, or perhaps highlighting the consequences of crank calls, or creating a video teaching kids on how to call 9-1-1 depending on different types of emergencies. The possibilities are endless! It is up to you to be creative and show us your stuff! We accept all video files (.mov, avi, quick time, etc.). Please submit entries to robert.gonzalez@csec.texas.gov. We will showcase the great work we receive on our Facebook and YouTube pages! For the entries we find most creative and inspiring, they will get a percentage off to use toward items available on the 911safety.org websites as well as a Cell Phone Sally Plaque recognizing their public education efforts. Deadline to submit your PSAs is March 27, 2013. Honorees will be selected in April! Honorees must use their 911safety.org discount no later than April 30, 2013.

No budget, no worries, just grab your Smartphone and shoot some creative video. Here are some excellent examples of some PSAs on YouTube that were done in a cost effective manner and they WORK!. Check them out at: http://bit.ly/911contest

What is keeping you from creating your own public service announcement? Why not get started today and see how creative you can be! For more information or if you have any questions or need ideas, please contact Robert Gonzalez at robert.gonzalez@csec.texas.gov. We look forward to seeing everyone’s unique creativity!

 

Remember to Wash Your Hands and Save Your Health and Lives!

One of the most important things we can do to keep healthy is to simply wash your hands. By washing hands, you can avoid getting sick as well as spreading germs to others. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, many diseases and illnesses are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean running water. Remember that if you don’t have access to water and soap, you can also use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to clean your hands.

When You Should Wash Hands

·         Before, during and after preparing food.

·         Before eating food.

·         After using the restroom.

·         After blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing.

·         After handling pets, pet food, or pet waste.

·         After touching garbage.

·         Before treating a cut or wound.

The Right Way to Wash Your Hands

·         Wet your hands with clean running water first and then apply soap.

·         Rub your hands together to create a foamy lather and make sure to scrub them well. This means scrubbing in between your fingers and on your nails.

·         Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds.

·         Rinse your hands under running water.

Remember, washing your hands is very important to your health and others! Make sure to follow these guidelines to ensure you stay as healthy as possible.

Hand Washing Game: http://globalhandwashing.org/ghw/

Hand washing YouTube Video: http://youtu.be/tmMGwO4N0Vc

Join Us at the Next National Public Educator Forum Conference!

Calling all public educators!!! It is that time of year again to register for the third annual NPEF Conference and this year it will be held in the gorgeous city of Austin, Texas, July 21-24, 2013!

The conference, aimed at 9-1-1 educators, will have four days of action packed sessions including industry-focused and technical education sessions. The NPEF conference is the nation’s only conference designed to assist 9-1-1 educators with public outreach, budget issues and educational tools. Individuals who work for a PSAP or other 9-1-1/public safety agency and play a role in public education within their community should make every effort to check this conference out. You will not be disappointed!

Check out these conference highlights:

·        Keynote Speaker, Kevin Willett, Public Safety Training Consultants  

·        Check out the world’s largest urban bat population! See over a million Mexican Free-tailed bats leave the Congress Street Bridge at sunset.

·        Share Time – Participate in sharing with other educators and learn what they have implemented in their programs.

·        Experience Austin’s lively night life including famous 6^th Street and the distinct Warehouse District. Check out live music, fabulous varieties of food, history of the Texas Capitol, and more!

·        Learn about techniques and innovative campaigns that help educate your elected officials and board members.

·        Show time! See examples of top of the line PowerPoint and other presentations that help boost education efforts and are easy to implement!

Don’t take our word for it- see what other attendees have said about past conferences:

·         “The NPEF was extremely well organized with information to use for all ages. I was extremely impressed with the conference. Keep up the outstanding work!”

·        “The NPEF and volunteers were outstanding. I plan to refer more people. The sharing that occurred at the conference and continues by email is incredible. Simply dynamic!”

·        “What I liked best about this conference were all the speakers and the length of the presentations. I also liked the opportunity to meet and speak with others from around the country and listen to how folks get things done with very little money.”

·        “I enjoyed this conference more than any other national conference, because you get the opportunity to meet everyone and there is only one session going on at a time instead of the typical conference where you are running from room to room.”

For more information on the NPEF conferences and how you can get registered today, please visit www.911npef.org. Don’t let this fantastic opportunity pass you by!

February Marks American Heart Month

Like many people, we all know someone who has suffered from a heart attack or stroke. Unfortunately, cardiovascular disease is still one of the leading causes of death in the United States, with one in three people dying from heart disease or a stroke. But, luckily, we have the power to change that by working together to stay healthy and active and keep our hearts strong.

One thing the Center for Disease Control and other government entities are doing, is teaming up together for Million Hearts, which aims to prevent the nation’s leading killers and empower all to make heart-healthy decisions. Million Hearts was launched in 2011 by the Department of Health and Human Services. Its goal is to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes in the U.S. over the next five years.

Goal of a Million Hearts

There are two main goals that the Million Hearts campaign hopes to achieve through preventing heart attacks and strokes. Those goals are:

·         Empowering Americans to Make Healthy Choices: Sounds simple, right? This goal can easily be achieved by avoiding tobacco use and reducing the amount of trans fat and sodium intake into our bodies. By doing these simple things, we can eliminate the amount of times we go to the doctor for high blood pressure or high cholesterol, thus preventing heart attacks and strokes.

·         Improving Care for People Who Need Treatment: This goal will happen by encouraging focus on the “ABCS” which means Aspirin for people at risk, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation. All these items address the major risk factors of cardiovascular disease.

Don’t hesitate to sign up for the Million Hearts pledge! Make a commitment to a healthier lifestyle by clicking here: www.millionhearts.hhs.gov. One other way you can contribute to a healthier lifestyle is by exercising for at least 30 minutes a day most of the week. Take care of your health now! In the event of a heart attack or other emergency, please dial 9-1-1.