Do parents in Saudi Arabia store medications safely?

Background and objectivesSafe storage of medications can prevent the accidental poisoning of children. How medications are stored in homes in the Saudi community is not known. The objective of this study was to assess the safety measures for drug storage that are employed by parents to avoid unintentional drug poisoning of children below the age of 6 years.Materials and methodsThis was a cross-sectional survey study based on a validated questionnaire created using the Survey Monkey online tool.ResultsNinety-three percent of the respondents did not store medications in secure and safe places such as locked boxes or locked drawers; however, more than half of the respondents (54.3%) stored medications at a level that was above the eye level of an adult. The majority of drugs (60.2%) were kept in the fridge; 45.9% were kept in kitchens, 45.1% in bedrooms, 8% in living rooms and 2% in bathrooms. Thirty percent of the respondents stored medications in two places, and 10% stored medication in three or more places. Eighty-nine percent disposed of unwanted medicines by throwing them in the trash, only 11% returned them to the pharmacy, and 11% flush them down the toilet.ConclusionsThese results raise concerns about how drugs are stored and disposed of in the community. Additional community education and awareness programs regarding the safe storage of drugs in the home and the identification of useful and accessible methods of drug disposal are needed.