# Put medicines out of children's reach

Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://adhd100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://adhd100.jock.pl/methodology/)

- Canonical: https://adhd100.jock.pl/child-poisoning-prevention/
- Language: en
- First published: 2026-09-29
- Evidence checked: 2026-09-29, using AI-assisted source verification
- Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed
- Number 23 of 100 in the list: https://adhd100.jock.pl/#child-poisoning-prevention

Make medicines and supplements harder for children to get at, including the ones in visitors' bags.

**The number:** Keep medicines where young children cannot reach or see ([CDC, 2024](https://www.cdc.gov/medication-safety/about/index.html))

## The evidence

- How sure: Certainty of evidence: Not rated. Measured in the general population; we say so because ADHD trials of this do not exist or are too small.
- Evidence grade: B. Grade B: trials in ADHD with low certainty, or strong general health evidence with a sourced reason it matters more with ADHD.
- Basis: General CDC storage guidance plus an ADHD poisoning meta-analysis; no formal rating for this household prevention action.
- Benefit: 70/100. The benefit score is an editorial prioritization for the general list, weighted by certainty. It is not a prediction of what will happen for you.

## Why it matters

General medicine-storage guidance cuts the chances of someone swallowing a medicine by accident. ADHD poisoning research found higher risk in young people with ADHD, but the pooled estimates mixed different kinds of poisoning and don't measure what a storage change achieves. Keeping medicines out of reach and sight is a practical prevention step, alongside the right supervision.

## How to do it

1. Put medicines and supplements back in a secure place, out of children's reach and sight.
2. Check safety caps are fully closed after use.
3. Ask visitors to keep bags with medicines in them out of reach too.
4. Ask a pharmacist about storage that keeps children safe and still lets you take medicines as prescribed.

## Talk to a clinician first

If you suspect poisoning, get advice quickly from your local poison service or emergency care. Changing where you store medicines does not change the instructions for taking them.

## Putting it into practice

### Start now

- 1 minute: Look around for one spot at home where a child could reach medicines or supplements.
- 5 minutes: Check that place and return any medicines to appropriate safe storage out of reach and sight.
- 15 minutes: Review medicine storage with other adults at home, including what happens when visitors arrive.

### What it looks like

- Check a bedside table for loose medicines and put them in their proper safe storage.
- Ask a visitor to put a medicine-containing handbag where children cannot access it.

### Common mistakes

- A safety cap is only useful when secured, so check it after each use.
- Leaving pills in view as a reminder can put them within reach. Ask about reminders that keep storage safe.

### Trusted how-to guides

- [Medication Safety and Your Health](https://www.cdc.gov/medication-safety/about/index.html), CDC

## Sources

- [Medication Safety and Your Health](https://www.cdc.gov/medication-safety/about/index.html), CDC, 2024 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [Risk of poisoning in children and adolescents with ADHD: a systematic review and meta-analysis](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-25893-9), Scientific Reports, 2018 (Tier 2 study)

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General information about ADHD, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Tailoring changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess you. Medication decisions belong with you and a qualified clinician.

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