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While teaching your teenager life skills, such as washing clothes and doing dishes, don’t forget to teach them how to purchase and take medicine. Medication use is an important life lesson that is vital to their health and safety.

All medications -- prescription, over-the-counter, herbals, and vitamins -- can be dangerous if not taken correctly.

Many people see over-the counter-medications, herbals, and vitamins as safer than prescription medications because a doctor does not have to write a prescription. This is not true. While medicines are safe and helpful if used correctly, all medications can be dangerous if not taken correctly. Overdoses occur when someone accidentally, or purposefully, takes too much medicine.

The West Virginia Poison Center offers these key points to teach your teenager or young adult:

• Know what each medication they are taking or may need is named, how to buy it, what it is for, and how to properly take the medication.

• Never take medicines together that contain the same ingredient, such as acetaminophen for pain and cold and flu medicine that contains acetaminophen.

• Always read the medication label carefully and follow the directions.

• Do not take more medicine than recommended. Taking more medicine will not make you better quicker and could cause serious harm.

• Do not take the next dose of medicine too soon. Keep track of when medicine is being taken, such as setting an alarm on a cell phone for the next dose.

• Medication dosing devices are not just for children. The correct dose is important for adolescents and adults. Kitchen spoons should never be used for medicine. The medicine will not work if not enough is taken and too much medicine can be poisonous.

• Never take someone else’s prescription medicine. Even if it could be beneficial, it could cause harm. Plus, taking other people’s prescriptions is illegal.

• If in doubt, talk to the pharmacist or doctor about medications.

• If a medication mistake or dosing error does occur, call the West Virginia Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222. All calls are confidential and answered by a medical expert in poisons.

The West Virginia Poison Center provides comprehensive emergency poison information, prevention and educational resources to West Virginians 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The WVPC is staffed by nurses, pharmacists, and physicians, with special training in treatment of poisonings. Located in Kanawha City, the WVPC is a part of the West Virginia University-Charleston Division.

For more information, phone 1-800-222-1222 or go online to www.wvpoisoncenter.org.

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