Taking Children's Medications On A Trip With You

Managing your child's medications while traveling can be the difference between a full and fun filled trip or cutting the vacation short to go home. Forgetting medications could even result in an emergency room trip in a strange city.

Pack your child's medication in an accessible, easy to remember place within the vehicle. Do not store any medicines in the trunk of your vehicle. Depending on the weather, they could freeze or get too hot. Many medicines are changed by extreme temperatures.

If traveling by plane, put medications in your carry on bag so they are always with you.

If driving, store all medications is a lockable container so children can not get to them. Accidental poisoning is a leading cause of hospital emergency visits.

Consider all vitamins and herbal supplements to be medications and treat them as such.
Some medications need to be refrigerated, make sure you have a cooler to keep medications at the proper temperature. You can purchase electric coolers that plug into your car's cigarette lighter for this purpose. Or ask your doctor to prescribe an alternative for the trip.

If your child has asthma, make certain you, or they, always have their fast acting inhaler on your person. That means carry it in a purse or pocket at all times.

If taking an extended trip or traveling far from home, call you child's doctor and request new written prescriptions to take along with you. Also, let your doctor's office staff know you are going out of town. If you need a distant pharmacy to request a refill, your doctor will be more likely to cooperate.

If possible, ask your doctor to recommend a physician in your destination city, in case someone gets sick or is injured.

Know what over the counter medications can and can not be taken with your child's prescription medications.

Taking prescription medication does not have to keep your family from taking an extended trip, with a little careful planning, you can keep track of the medicines and have a great time.

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