The educational campaign promoting safe medication use was launched by young pharmacists in 2018.
While the previous article presented an international example of how a pharmaceutical company can draw attention to a stigmatized or underdiagnosed disease, this article focuses on an educational campaign related to medications affecting the domestic population.
The main objective of the "SzeddViddVédd!" awareness campaign launched by young pharmacists in 2018 was to highlight the importance of proper home storage of medications, as well as safe medication use and environmentally conscious disposal of expired medications. In addition to educational video content created with credible professionals (Zsófia Németh, Dr. György Póta, Pál Győrfi, Lili Kossela, Dr. Janka Kocsis, and Dr. Hunor Novák), animated short films were also produced. (The campaign's YouTube channel was last updated 3 years ago, and unfortunately, no one has taken up the initiative).
Education on medication use
The campaign organizers pointed out the shocking data that made it necessary to educate the population. These include, among others, that in 2017, there were more than 20,000 cases of poisoning requiring medical attention, about one-third of which were medication poisonings. This ratio is significantly higher in cases of childhood poisonings—especially affecting children aged 1-4—where improperly stored medications played a role in half of the cases, as in their case, it is often not the larger quantity of medication that causes poisoning, but rather medications with certain active ingredients (such as heart rhythm regulators), where even one can cause serious health damage.
The main message of the “SzeddViddVédd!” educational campaign, supported by the Association of Family Pediatricians and the National Ambulance Service, was that we should review our home medicine cabinet at least every six months and not store expired or unnecessary medications at home, but rather return them to the pharmacy. This way, we can prevent the storage of expired (and thus ineffective), unnecessary, or "inherited" medications for years, which pose various risks.
In addition to poisonings that can even result in death, medications saved with the intention of „later” use (leftover antibiotics from unfinished treatments) can lead to unnecessary medication use, sharing unused medications with others does not achieve the desired effect (in worse cases, we worsen the patient's condition), and medications that end up in municipal waste further burden our environment (for example, the presence of certain pharmaceutical molecules can already be detected in surface waters).
Here are some simple suggestions for consumers:
- Always store medications according to the instructions (in a light-protected, cool place, in the refrigerator, etc.)
- Always keep medications in their original packaging (along with the cardboard box and patient information leaflet), so we will know the name, active ingredient, and expiration date of the medication later.
- Do not share your prescribed medication with others (especially heart medications and antibiotics)!
- Always carefully lock up or place medications out of reach so that they do not fall into the hands of children!
- Review your home medicine cabinet every six months and dispose of expired products; do not throw expired, unnecessary medications in the municipal waste bin, but return them to the pharmacy, place them in the collection box provided there, or hand them over to the pharmacy staff.
Are you interested in the topic?
I recommend to you:
SzeddViddVédd! – Awareness campaign for safe medication use
