Drug education forms part of our Living and Learning long term plan and in Year 2 this focuses on the safe use of medicines.
Firstly, we considered why medicines are taken.
The purpose of medicines is to help people stay healthy, get well or feel better if they are ill.
The children were keen to talk about the different types of medicines and that each medicine has specific use. The different types we discussed included sprays, gels, creams, tablets, liquid medicine, injections and inhalers. When might you use these medicines?
Secondly, we thought about where medicines come from.
Medicines can be prescribed by a doctor or bought from a shop or pharmacy.
Who would decide which medicine to use?
Sometimes there are alternatives to taking medicines if someone is not very poorly, such as having a cuddle; sitting or lying quietly; having a drink of water or something to eat.
Finally, in our learning we talked about keeping ourselves safe around medicines. We came up with some general safety rules.
- Never take medicines that are not meant for you.
- Take the right amount – do not take too much or guess the amount
- Store medicines away from children
- Always read the instructions carefully before taking medicines
- Use the correct medicine for the illness
‘Do not get your own medicine.’ Isla
‘Only have medicines from adults that you trust.’ Rizwan
‘Medicine is good for you only if you need it and a grown up gives you it.’ Jack
‘You are not allowed to give yourself medicine.’ Noah G
‘You should only have medicine if you are poorly.’ Junior
‘Do not play with any kind of medicine.’ Iris
We also tested our knowledge by checking some scenarios.
