The Medication Rule of Three

If you have young siblings, relatives, children, or friends that visit your home, it’s essential to think of safety first. Live by my mother’s Medication Rule of Three. That is, keep all of your medications: (1) out of sight, (2) out of mind, and (3) out of reach of other people. You can’t be too cautious, especially when there are little children in the home. A little bit of safety can go a long way in preventing tragedy.

The Medication Rule of Three applies at all times, even if you don’t have children in your home. Often you have to follow these rules to protect your prescriptions from people who may want to help themselves.

Tylenol #3, Vicodin, Percodan, and others are common pain relief medications Sickle Cell patients use. As sad as it is, many people are addicted to these types of pills; which is a growing problem in our country. In the year 2008, more than 14,000 people died from overdosing on prescription painkillers.  People can often hide their addictions, even from close friends and family members. For this reason, if somebody learns you have such medications in your possession or in your home, and they ask for some, you must tell them no. By keeping your medicine out of sight, others won’t be tempted to take them from you when you’re not looking.

For instance, I often entertain friends in my home. I am careful to not leave my pain medication bottles out in plain view on the coffee table beside the candy dish. Instead I keep them in my room (out of reach) and in a drawer (out of sight). This puts my pain pills “out of the minds” of my guests, and I don’t have to worry about them coming up missing—the pills that is, not my guests.

Lastly, consider these two things. First, if a friend asks for some of your medicine, and though you may know he or she is not an addict, remember your medication is prescribed just for you. You aren’t a doctor. You have no way of knowing how somebody else’s body will react to medicine that’s been adjusted specifically for you. Though your body may respond one way to certain medicine, another person’s body could have a very different reaction. Second, giving your medication to others means you have less when you really need it.