4,000 KIDS IN PILLS POISON.Byline: By MIRROR REPORTER MORE than 4,000 children are poisoned every year after accidentally getting their hands on medicine, it was claimed yesterday. Parents were told to ditch the old pills and tonics after the figures from the Poisons Information Centre in Beaumont Hospital were revealed. Galway pharmacist Darragh O'Loughlin told the Irish Pharmaceutical Union AGM AGM annual general meeting AGM n abbr (= annual general meeting) → AG f AGM n abbr (= annual general meeting) → JHV f : "I would advise people to dispose of To determine the fate of; to exercise the power of control over; to fix the condition, application, employment, etc. of; to direct or assign for a use. See also: Dispose any unwanted medicines they have in their homes. "In particular, paracetamol paracetamol see acetaminophen. acetaminophen, paracetamol an analgesic and antipyretic drug in dogs. It is contraindicated for cats because of serious side-effects which include intravascular hemolysis, methemoglobinemia and hepatic necrosis. , ibuprofen or aspirin are common causes of accidental poisoning in children. "Even though these medicines can be obtained without a doctor's prescription they are still very dangerous if taken incorrectly." Delegates also heard there are 50 drug overdose suicides a year and that 8,000 people turn up at A&Es annually because they have taken a deliberate drug overdose. A spokesman said: "In most cases prescription or over-the-counter medication is involved." The South Western Area Health Board has been running a campaign called Dump, which is a service for disposing of unwanted medicine, since 2004. It has collected 13.5 tonnes to date and the union called on the HSE to extend its programme nationwide. |
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