Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medicine Safety Program is a free, evidence-based, comprehensive Common Core-ready educational program on the safe use of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, with a rich online hub. Research shows that students begin to self-medicate around age 11. If not equipped with the knowledge and training to make safe choices, mistakes can happen. By age 16, approximately 90% of adolescents report self-administering OTC medications.
In 2018, America’s poison centers managed more than 300,000 exposure cases involving children ages 6 to 19; more than half of these cases involved medication errors and misuse. This tip sheet suggests best practices for prevention leaders to implement the OTC Medicine Safety Program to educate our nationʼs youth with the knowledge they need to make good choices. Learn more about the OTC Medicine Safety Program