Accidental child poisoning

Substance No of cases Tixylix Night-time 7 Paracetamol 5 Karvol 4 Vitamin pills 4 Other cough mixtures 2 Industrial cleaner 2 Temazepam 2 Thyroxine 1 Bleach 1 Amphetamines 1 Methadone 1 Essential oil 1 Oral contraceptives 1 Sewing machine oil 1 Aftershave 1 Sudafed tablets 1 Tixylix Night-time was the most commonly ingested substance, and cough or cold mixtures in total constituted 26% (9/35) of the poisonings for the month. In 1994 the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain reported that it hoped that beginning 1 January 1996 the pharmaceutical industry would use child resistant containers for all its liquid medicines. 1 It seems that few pharmaceutical companies have complied with this voluntary deadline even though liquid medicines dispensed by pharmacists have been supplied in child resistant containers since 1995, and the dangers of accidental overdose from bottles without child resistant tops have been highlighted regularly. 2-4 Legislation seems to be the only way to ensure that all liquid medicines from manufacturers are supplied in child resistant containers.