Launched in 2015, OTC Medicine Safety is the newest of the APhA-ASP operations. This operation is a partnership with McNeil Consumer Healthcare and Scholastic. This initiative teaches 5th and 6th graders and their families about safe OTC medication usage and storage.
OTC Medicine Safety is an educational initiative. Interactive games teach children the importance of safe medicine use, following labeling instructions, and also shows parents the hazards that are often lurking in their own homes. OTC Medicine Safety collaborates with other operations at health fairs to provide these educational activities, as well as visiting schools in the Houston area.
OTC Medicine Safety developed a partnership with Houston Independent School District last fall, and visited elementary schools within the district to educate students. Being such a new operation, OTC Medicine Safety is constantly innovating new opportunities to spread medicine safety awareness in the community.
2022-2023 Academic School Year
September 11th, 2022 - OTC Medicine Safety Tabling Event
Operation OTC/Med Safety officers educated pharmacy students to educate and reinforce clinical pearls for OTC medication for all UHCOP students.
August 3rd, 2022 - Mayor’s Back to School Festival
Operation OTC/Med Safety officers provided educational resources on OTC medication safety to target underserved patient population. With an OTC medication matching game, it provided such engagement towards the kids!
2020 - 2021 Academic School Year
October 6, 2020 - Medication Safety in the Hospital Setting
APHA- ASP OTC Medication Safety chairs and SSHP Medication Safety Senior chair collaborated on a seminar with guest speaker Dr. Sara Bork. Dr. Bork discussed what medication safety is like in a hospital setting and her role as the Assistant Director of Medication Safety. She also discussed her residency journey and what brought her to choose to specialize.
2019 - 2020 Academic School Year
February 20, 2020 - Family Fit Night
Operation chair educated parents and children about how to read a medication label and how to measure liquid medications correctly. The children participated in a practical measurement demonstration and used the information they learned to answer scenario questions in the Magic of Medicine game.
February 19, 2020 - Wharton Dual Language Academy Presentation
Operation chairs presented information about how to read a medicine label, how to properly store medications, and how to use resources like the poison control phone number. Volunteers from the audience helped with a liquid medication measurement demonstration. An online candy vs. medicine game was used to demonstrate the need for keeping medications in their original containers. Questions from the audience were discussed as a group and answered by the end of the presentation.
January 25 , 2020 - Harmony Steam Festival
Operation chair educated parents and children on how to safely store medications and how to read a medication label properly.
January 23, 2020 - Annual OTC Workshop
Operation chairs educated UHCOP students on material pertaining to the school’s OTC course. A quiz was conducted at the end of the event, and food was offered to the attendees.
January 18, 2020 - DHR Health 14th Annual Community Health Fair
First-year and second-year APhA-ASP members educated both parents and children about the safe usage of various OTC medications and the differences between dosage forms using the Magic of Medicine poster.
October 26, 2019 - Consulate of Mexico Health Fair
Operation Sr. and Jr chairs educated parents and students on safe over the counter practices. students as well as guardians participated in various poster activities.
October 25, 2019 - Pharmacy Phriday Number 2
Operation senior chair educated guardians and students on safe over-the-counter practices. Students participated in the Candy vs Medicine game as well as the Magic of Medicine Labels game.
October 24, 2019 - Drug Take Back Day
Operation junior chair educated college students at the University of Houston campus about Drug Take Back Day. It was recommended to take any unused or expired drugs to the campus pharmacy to promote safe medicine practice.
October 16, 2019 - National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Video
Senior chair updated a video advertising for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day and informing the public about how to find drug take back locations near them.
October 3, 2019 - Pharmacy Extravaganza
Operation OTC chairs educated students of University of Houston about safe medication use. We educated about storage, reading drug labels, and safe dosing.
September 30, 2019 - Initiative Round Table
Operation OTC chairs educated P1s about our operation in order for them to sign up to our committee if they are interested.
September 27, 2019 - Pharmacy Phriday Number 1
Operation senior chair educated guardians and students on safe over-the-counter practices. Students participated in the Candy vs Medicine game as well as the Magic of Medicine Labels game.
September 17, 2019 - Parent University Night at Baylor College of Medicine Biotech Academy
Operation senior chair educated parents and guardians about the importance of reading a medication label. Safe medication storage and proper measuring practices were also discussed.
September 17, 2019 - Parent University Night at Cage Elementary
Operation senior chair educated parents and guardians about the importance of reading a medication label. Safe medication storage and proper measuring practices were also discussed.
September 12, 2019 - Harmony School of Ingenuity Presentation
The chairs of Operation OTC Medicine Safety educated 100 high school seniors about safe medication practices and how to read a drug facts label. Safe dosing, storage and the differences between Rx and OTC medications were also discussed. Finally, information about calling poison control was provided, and the best way to dispose of expired medications was explained.
August 3, 2019 - Mayor’s Back to School Fest
Operation chairs educated students and parents about safe medicine practices and how to read a drug facts label using the Candy vs Medicine game, a Medicine Label poster, and the Magic of Medicine Labels game.
