Best First-Line Defense: Tylenol Regular Strength Tablets When people approach Butler looking for an over-the-counter pain reliever, he says his first line of defense is acetaminophen. Acetaminophen can be useful for treating headaches, muscle aches, menstrual cramps, sore throats, cold symptoms, and fevers.

OTC acetaminophen tablets, capsules,

• suppositories, liquids, drops. Tylenol.
• OTC aspirin 325 mg. Ecotrin.
• OTC ibuprofen. Motrin.
• OTC naproxen. Aleve.

Findings:Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are used generally for treating minor illnesses. It is mainly used for the common acne, facial pain, congestion, runny nose, fever, headache, hoarseness, itchy eyes, sneezing, sore throat cough and cold, pain, diarrhea and stomach discomfort, ulceration among others.

One of the most common OTC drug used in case of a fever, headache, or cold is the paracetamol, easily available at all pharmacy stores without a prescription. However, there is more to paracetamol that we must know.

Over-the-counter medicine is also known as OTC or nonprescription medicine. All these terms refer to medicine that you can buy without a prescription. They are safe and effective when you follow the directions on the label and as directed by your health care professional.

They’re medicines and products that can be used for either a medical condition or for general health and well-being. You can get dual-purpose items as part of your OTC benefit if you use them to treat a specific medical condition and your doctor recommends the product or medicine.

One of the biggest advantages of using an OTC medication such as Benadryl to treat anxiety is that it is fast-acting and convenient. This can be helpful if you need to reduce symptoms of mild anxiety quickly. Because Benadryl causes many people to feel drowsy, it can also help aid in sleep.

10 common medicines and first aid supplies to have at home

• Have a list of emergency instructions.
• Acetaminophen and an NSAID.
• Aspirin.
• Antihistamine.
• Decongestant, cough suppressant and flu relief medicine.
• Antacids.
• Antibiotic ointment.
• Bandages.

Store your medicines in a cool, dry place. For example, store it in your dresser drawer or a kitchen cabinet away from the stove, sink, and any hot appliances. You can also store medicine in a storage box, on a shelf, in a closet. If you are like most people, you probably store your medicine in a bathroom cabinet.

And if you have questions about a medicine, always ask a doctor or pharmacist.

• Sunscreen.
• Petroleum jelly.
• Plenty of bandages.
• Over-the-counter painkillers and fever reducers.
• A digital thermometer.
• Tweezers.
• Instant cold compresses.
• Anti-itch cream.

The medicines should always be kept in the Northern direction. Do not keep a refrigerator, invertor, gas cylinder or a dustbin in your bedroom. Keep the washroom and bathroom doors closed. Washrooms in the South and West directions should always have a door step.

Any medicine stock must be stored in a dedicated locked cupboard or locked refrigerator.

A: Proper storage of medicines is crucial to ensure their effectiveness and potency. All medicines must be stored in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight and moisture. Some medicines require special storage conditions such as in the refrigerator, or even the freezer.

Contrary to popular belief, the bathroom medicine cabinet is ideally not the place to store medications due to heat and humidity. With the bathroom door being closed majority of the time and steam coming from the shower, this is not keeping your medicines dry and cool.

You can bring your medication in pill or solid form in unlimited amounts as long as it is screened. TSA does not require passengers to have medications in prescription bottles, but states have individual laws regarding the labeling of prescription medication with which passengers need to comply.

Assuming your medications and supplements have been cleared for potential interactions, it’s fine to store them together. Any powder or residue from the pills or gel caps is small enough not to make a difference.

1. Bathrooms are humid. Most pills, tablets, and capsules are designed to be taken with water –not only because water helps you wash the medication down, but also because it helps to activate the medication.

Remember, don’t flush your medicine unless it is on the flush list. Disposing medicines in household trash: If a take back program is not available, almost all medicines, except those on the FDA flush list (see below), can be thrown into your household trash.

A range of medicines need to be refrigerated. These include insulins, antibiotic liquids, injections, eye drops and some creams. These medicines must be stored between 2ºC and 8ºC. This guidance describes how you must manage medicines which need to be in the ‘cold chain’.

In order to be sure that you are giving the right medication, you must: Read the medication label carefully (remember that some medications have more than one name: a brand name and at least one generic name). Check the spelling of the medication carefully.

To ensure safe medication preparation and administration, nurses are trained to practice the “7 rights” of medication administration: right patient, right drug, right dose, right time, right route, right reason and right documentation [12, 13].

Let’s take a look at your rights.

• The Right to Be Treated with Respect.
• The Right to Obtain Your Medical Records.
• The Right to Privacy of Your Medical Records.
• The Right to Make a Treatment Choice.
• The Right to Informed Consent.
• The Right to Refuse Treatment.
• The Right to Make Decisions About End-of-Life Care.

WHAT ARE THE THREE CHECKS? Checking the: – Name of the person; – Strength and dosage; and – Frequency against the: Medical order; • MAR; AND • Medication container.

• Right patient.
• Right medication.
• Right dose.
• Right route.
• Right time/frequency.
• Right reason.
• Right documentation.
• Right response.

Don’t forget the three checks in medication administration

1. The first check is when the medications are pulled or retrieved from the automated dispensing machine, the medication drawer, or whatever system is in place at a given institution.
2. The second check is when preparation of the medications for administration takes place.

Medication must:

• Be in its original container.
• Have a clear readable and original label.
• Have the child’s name clearly on the label.
• Have any instructions attached.
• Have verbal or written instructions provided by the child’s registered medical practioner.