Resources for Adults, Caregivers and Teachers

When kids get sick, we want to help them get better quickly, but turning to antibiotics isn’t always the answer. Knowing how and when to use antibiotics is an important step in keeping your child strong and healthy. Below are some resources from the CDC and the Marion County Public Health Department to help you learn how to talk to your doctor about antibiotic and when to use them. Also below are some coloring pages in which Sudzee and Germy teach kids how to wash their hands in order to keep germs at bay.

Handwashing Poster Handwashing Coloring Sheet Train Poster Train Coloring Sheet

Communicate with your Healthcare Provider H1N1 Information Booklet Medical Appointment Card Playbook - The Best Defense is a Good Offense Sniffle or Sneeze? No Antibiotics Please Winning Plays Resistance anywhere is resistance everywhere Antibiotic stewardship – the ultimate return on investment Preserving antibiotics for the future Delivering safe care for patients: all healthcare providers play a role Antibiotics: Will they work when you really need them? Antibiotic Use in Nursing Homes

Medication Disposal

Properly disposing of medications can be a bit tricky. Medicines thrown in the trash have the potential to be found by others and abused. Medications flushed down the toilet can potentially impact the environment. Always follow disposal direction on a medication's packaging if available. Medications that are expired, leftover from an unfinished prescription or no longer needed should be disposed of by following the recommendations below:

• Make medications unusable before putting in the trash by mixing or pouring the medicine into coffee grounds, dirt, sand or kitty litter.
• Check with your doctor before disposing of medicines used for chemotherapy or any radioactive medicine. Do NOT put these in the trash, pour down the drain or flush.
• If you do not have an official sharps container and you have needles, lancets and/or syringes to dispose of, put them into a thick plastic container, such as a laundry detergent bottle, screw cap on tightly and tape container shut before placing in the trash.
• Remember to mark out your name, prescription number and other identifying information on your empty bottles before throwing them away. If you can, remove the label and shred it.
• Check with your local health department to see if they have a disposal program.