Poison Prevention 2006

Navind Oodit

Amanda Smolen

Janine Kosmoski

Faculty Advisor: Karl Fiebelkorn

Background:

National Poison Prevention Week is March 19-25 2006.

The Poison Prevention Council members define the week as:

‘a special week to organize events that raise awareness of the dangers of unintentional poisonings, as well as steps that can be taken to prevent accidental poisonings in the first place.’

- from www.poisonprevention.org

Where:

We will be adopting these goals set forth by the Poison Prevention Council and presenting this information to local elementary schools and distributing poison prevention information to local pharmacies.

When:

School presentations are tentatively scheduled for mid-February through March (excluding Spring Break).

You will be required to visit local pharmacies in late February or early March.

Why?

– In March 2005, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released a report stating:

“About 78,000 children under five years old visited U.S. hospital emergency rooms due to unintentional poisonings in 2003 – about one every seven minutes, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported today. Most of these poisonings included products commonly found in the home.”

Pharmacy Care

This program is a requirement of the Pharm. D. program at UB and will be

incorporated into your Pharmacy Care (PHM 316) grade in the spring.

Failure to participate will effect your Pharmacy Care grade.

Work is not an excuse for missing these presentations.

If you are not in Pharmacy Care you are exempt from the program this year.

Requirements The first requirement is to visit local elementary

schools and speak with pre-K through first graders about Poison Prevention.

– You will be assigned to a group of 3 or 4 students, based on your class schedule.

– Exact dates, times and locations of these presentations will be announced in late January to early February.

– The number of presentations that each group will present will be determined when the schools are confirmed.

– Each group will be required to go to multiple classrooms in 2 to 3 schools.

Transportation You are responsible for your own

transportation – Car pooling is an option

Directions to the schools will be provided– Map out your route prior to your scheduled

presentation especially if you are car pooling

Prepare for bad weather Do not be late due to travel, you’re on their

schedule

Schedule

Schedule will be posted in late January or early February

Most elementary schools are in session from 8 to 4, you will not be scheduled after 4.

Most of you will be scheduled Tuesday or Thursday opposite your lab day. A few groups may have MWF outings

There will be no presentations during spring break (March13-17).

You cannot miss class to do your presentations

Presentations

Each group will be required to create a 10-15 minute presentation about Poison Prevention, geared toward 4- to 6-year-olds.

All groups will present this to us and your peers at a mandatory All-School, February 16th and 18th.

Your presentation must include:

– What is a poison? • A poison is anything that can hurt you if it is used in the

wrong way.

– Products that can be poisons if misused.– The 5 routes of poisoning:

• In the eyes• On the skin• By mouth• Breathed in through nose• Insect stings/ bites

Presentation Requirements Cont’d

– Medicine can be harmful if misused or belongs to someone else.

– Always ask adults before using a product.– Explain the role of the pharmacist.– Explain what to do in the event of a poisoning:

• Tell an adult right away.• Call the Poison Control Center.

– 1 (800) 222-1222

– Explain the role of the Poison Control Center.

Some Suggestions For Your Presentations… Be organized!!!

– Know who will speak first.– Know who will say what and when.– Know who will answer questions.

Suggestions

Visuals!– Remember, these are young children!

• Use simple games/ hands-on activities.– Look-alikes, velcro games, etc.

– Anything that could possibly be a poison must be in a closed container!

• Use cartoon characters/ puppets.– SpongeBob SquarePants, Blues Clues, Sesame

Street, etc. (Keep themes universal so that all children will relate to characters).

• Use lots of bright colors.

Suggestions

Speaking– Don’t lecture!– Whoever is speaking must be able to

speak clearly.– Modulate your voice level.– Speak slowly, simply and clearly.– Use general terms.

• i.e. Say “medicine” instead of “aspirin”.

Suggestions

Keeping Their Attention– Use eye contact.– Use a rhyme.

• i.e. 1-2-3, eyes on me!

– Praise good behavior.• “Look at how well you are listening.”• ‘I’ll need a helper later so I’ll be looking for the best

listener in the class.”

Suggestions cont’d

Length– 10-15 minutes at the most.

• You will only have a limited amount of time in the classrooms and it is important that you run on time.

– Consider shortening/ scaling down your presentations for the preschoolers and vice versa.

Suggestions cont’d

You may bring small rewards for the students.– Use in games, etc.– Absolutely NO candy or food!

• Food allergies, school policy.• Teachers prefer stickers, erasers, etc.

Requirements

The second requirement of the program will be to take information about Poison Prevention to local pharmacies.– A signup sheet will be posted on the door of the

Poison Prevention Office.– Once you sign up for a pharmacy, it is your

responsibility to pick up the materials and deliver them to that particular pharmacy.

– You must bring back a signed business card from the pharmacist on duty as proof that you were there.

– This will take place the week of March 19th.

Key Points to Remember

You will be representing UB and the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, so please remember to dress and act like professionals.

The classroom teachers will be evaluating your presentations.

Dress Professionally Use universal themes and items. Keep in mind your target audience. BE CREATIVE!!!

Some Useful Websites

www.pharmacy.buffalo.edu/poison www.aapcc.org www.cpsc.gov www.ipl.org/youth/poisonsafe www. poisonprevention.org

Contacts:

Navind Oodit noodit@buffalo.edu

Amanda Smolen amsmolen@buffalo.edu

Janine Kosmoski jck@buffalo.edu