Medicine Use, Misuse & Abuse

HEALTH EDUCATION - Lesson 16 - Week 2/8

Substance Abuse & Disease Prevention (5)

HPE Lesson Plans - Health - KHE, 1HE, 2HE, 3HE, 4HE, 5HE

Safety | Mental, Social & Emotional Health | Substance Abuse & Disease Prevention | Growing Up Healthy

Substance Abuse & Disease Prevention

Medicine Use, Misuse & Abuse

See below for the following:

Standard(s), Essential Question(s), Big Idea(s)

LEARNING TARGET / SUCCESS CRITERIA

I will know and be able to discuss how to use medicines safely.

I will know and be able to interpret a medicine label.

I will know and be able to distinguish between medicine misuse and medicine abuse.

---------------------------------------------------

PRE-INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITY

Vocabulary

dosage - the correct amount of medicine to take

expiration date - the last date the medicine can be used, never take a medicine after this date

self-medication - deciding on your own which medicine to take

medicine misuse - taking medicine without following the directions exactly

medicine abuse - taking medicine to do something other than treat an illness

addiction - the constant need for and use of a substance even though the user (called an addict) knows it is harmful

OPENING (Engage)

Main Idea

Prescription medicines can be abused if they are not taken correctly.

Why Learn This?

Learning the dangers of medicine misuse and abuse will help you use medicines safely.

WORK PERIOD (Explore/Explain/Extend/Elaborate)

READ: Medicine Use, Misuse, and Abuse

How can medicines be used safely?

It's important to remember that medicines contain powerful ingredients that can have strong effects on your body. In order to stay safe, you must learn to use medicines correctly. For both prescription medicines and over-the-counter medicines, always read the labels carefully and follow the safety guidelines.

Name

Doctors write prescriptions for one person only.

They consider the age, size, and condition of that person's body. Never take someone else's prescription medicine.

It can be dangerous.

Directions

Follow the directions that come with your medicine. Be sure to take it at the right time and in the right dosage. The dosage (DOH•sij is the correct amount of medicine to take.

Refill

This tells you if you can get more of the medicine without a new prescription.

Date

This is the date on which the prescription was filled. Some labels also include an expiration date. The expiration date (ek.spuh•RAY•shuhn DAYT) is the last date the medicine can be used. Never take a medicine after this date.

Warnings and Cautions

Warnings and cautions on the label can keep you from becoming ill or injured when taking the medicine. They also help ensure that the medicine is stored and given correctly.

Medicines will help you only if you use them and store them correctly. If you take medicines incorrectly, they can harm you. If you store them incorrectly, they might not work as they should or they could make you ill.

To use a medicine correctly, always read the directions on the label. They tell you when and how to take the medicine and when not to take it. Never use a medicine that is not labeled. You might take the wrong medicine or take it incorrectly.

It is also important to store medicines correctly. Most medicines should be kept in a cool, dark place, away from moisture. You must keep some medicines in the refrigerator. Others must be kept away from bright light. Check labels for special directions. A pharmacist can provide further information about storing medicines.

Do not take two or more medicines at the same time without your doctor's permission. Some medicines don't work as well or are dangerous when taken together. You must be careful about the foods you eat with some medicines, too. Some foods stop medicines from working. For example, some antibiotics shouldn't be taken with orange or grapefruit juice. The acid in the juice partly destroys the medicine.

Report side effects and allergic reactions to a responsible adult. Some reactions are minor, but others require medical attention.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of young children. Never take any medicine unless a trusted adult gives it to you.

What is medicine misuse and abuse?

Ten-year-old Jason doesn't feel well. His throat is sore and he feels warm. In the medicine cabinet he finds aspirin to reduce his fever. He also finds cold medicine. The label says "Relieves sore throats." What should he do?

What Jason should not do is take the aspirin or the cold medicine. That would be self-medication. Self-medication is deciding on your own which medicine to take. Children and teens should never self-medicate. It is too easy to misuse medicine. Medicine misuse is taking medicine without following the directions exactly.

In the example above, Jason might think he has a cold but he could have the flu. Aspirin is usually a safe drug if taken properly. But children and teens with the flu should never take aspirin unless a doctor says it is all right. Aspirin can cause Reye's syndrome, a disease that can lead to brain damage or even death. Taking two medicines together without a doctor's approval would be another mistake. Because cold medicines often contain aspirin or aspirin-like products, taking both products could be harmful.

Using leftover prescription medicines or taking too much of a medicine are other examples of medicine misuse. Never take a prescription medicine without a doctor's approval. And never take more than the right dosage.

Some people abuse medicine. Medicine abuse is taking medicine to do something other than treat an illness. The medicines most often abused are those that cause changes in the brain and nervous system. They can change people's moods or the way they see, hear, or feel things. People who abuse these medicines think they like the way the medicines make them feel. However, medicine abuse can cause serious illness or death. Prescription medicines that are sometimes abused include medicines used to treat depression, sleep-lessness, and pain. Some OTC medicines, such as cough syrups, are also abused.

People who abuse medicine can develop an addiction. An addiction (uh•DIK•shuhn) is the constant need for and use of a substance even though the user (called an addict) knows it is harmful. Drug addicts crave a medicine or drug. They feel they need the drug just as other people need food and sleep. Addiction can lead to serious illness or death.

REMEMBER...Prescription medicines can be abused if they are not taken correctly. Learning the dangers of medicine misuse and abuse will help you use medicines safely.

CLOSING (Evaluate)

Complete Lesson Checkup
Finished Early? (sign into BrainPOP using Clever)
- Watch BrainPOP Jr. - Medicine
- Read Medicine

Standard(s)

HE5.1a - recognize the relationship between healthy behaviors and disease prevention

HE5.1b - describe and apply the basic personal health concepts of healthy eating and physical activity

HE5.1c - describe and apply the basic health concept of mental and emotional well-being

HE5.1d - describe and apply the basic health concept of personal hygiene and safety

HE5.1e - distinguish the short and long-term physical effects of use and/or misuse of substances

HE5.1f - identify trusted adults and when it might be important to seek health care or emergency help for themselves or others

HE5.1g - identify the changes that occur during puberty

HE5.1h - distinguish between tattling, reporting aggression, bullying, cyberbullying, and violence (physical and/or sexual) and how to report these instances

HE5.1i - identify strategies to avoid physical fighting and violence

HE5.2a - evaluate the influence of family and peers on personal health behaviors and decisions

HE5.2b - describe how the school and community can support personal health practices and behaviors

HE5.2c - explain how media/technology influences thoughts, feelings, and health behaviors

HE5.3a - identify characteristics of valid health information, products, and services

HE5.3b - access resources from home, school, and community that provide valid health information

HE5.3c - assess the characteristics of valid health information, products, and services

HE5.4a - apply effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills to enhance health

HE5.4b - model effective nonviolent strategies to manage or resolve conflicts

HE5.4c - demonstrate how to ask for assistance to enhance personal health and the health of others

HE5.5a - identify health-related situations that might require a thoughtful decision

HE5.5b - list healthy options and possible consequences to a health-related issue or problem

HE5.5c - predict the potential outcomes of each option when making a health-related decision

HE5.5d - analyze when assistance is needed in making a health-related decision

HE5.5e - choose a healthy option when making a decision

HE5.5f - describe the outcomes of a health-related decision

HE5.6a - set a personal health goal and track progress toward its achievement

HE5.6b - identify and utilize resources to assist in achieving a personal health goal

HE5.7a - practice responsible personal health choices

HE5.7b - demonstrate a variety of healthy practices and behaviors to preserve or enhance personal health

HE5.7c - model a variety of behaviors that prevent or decrease health risks to self and/or others

HE5.8a - review accurate information and develop an opinion about a health issue

HE5.8b - advocate for positive health choices

Essential Question(s)

How can medicines be used safely?
What is medicine misuse and abuse?

Big Idea(s)

Medicines can be used safely by always reading the labels cafefully and following the safety guidelines. Never take any medicine unless a trusted adult gives it to you.
Medicine misuse is taking medicine without following the directions exactly. Medicine abuse is taking medicine to do something other than treat an illness.

RESOURCES / INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

see below

DCSD Board-Approved Instruction Materials

Your Health: Teacher's Edition - Grade 5. Harcourt Brace & Company. 1999.

Technology

Google Sites - HPE website
Chromebook
large video screens for whole-class viewing
sound system for sharing of audio
BrainPOP Jr. - Medicine
Medicine

Google Sites

Report abuse