Many parents taking medication have to deal with how to keep their children away from those prescription medications.
Now, some hospitals in New York are rolling out a new program aiming at keeping prescription medications protected.
In 2019, Upstate Poison Center had 18,000 calls - half of those were for children under the age of 6 getting accidental exposure to medicine. That is very scary for even the most protective parent.
Jeanna Marraffa , a Clinical Director for the center, says a $10,000 grant the hospital received will provide these to their patients and will be a life changer for those with young kids.
"As we know with smaller children as they're starting to crawl and walk their very curious so they pick things up they put things in their mouth. That's just what they do," Marraffa says.
These lock-boxes will be sent home with patients who come into the hospital for poison-related cases.
They have a code on the top that you need to unlock the medicine, keeping it out of hands of kids.
Upstate encourages any parent with children to consider buying one for their family.
Tyler Greenfield, Director of the Pediatric Emergency Department says, "If you're hearing this don't wait to come to the ED to get one its an excellent opportunity that we're providing one but some people may not even know that its an option so if you're hearing this go purchase one they're relatively inexpensive."
The lock-box is big enough to hold several pill bottles or even a weekly pill dispenser if needed.
