Abby earns a bitter pill for bad advice on meds

DEAR ABBY: You missed the chance to communicate a life-or-death message when you answered a letter from an "Ohio Grandma." Your reply understated the importance of storing medications properly and safely. What if the grandmother had placed a loaded gun on the desk instead of medications? Both can produce just as deadly a result.

And why didn't those meds have safety lids? Putting them in a suitcase is not enough. They should be stored out of reach, preferably secured with a safety lock. Or better yet, the parents should be told you have dangerous substances with you - and asked where you can store them.

- Mom of a Toddler in New Jersey

DEAR MOM: I was scolded for not placing more emphasis on the safety issue. However, the question I was asked was, "Are we obligated to help with more of the medical expenses (for the ER visit) because we have already helped (contributed several hundred dollars) and I don't think it's our job to teach our grandchild boundaries?" So that was the issue on which I focused. Read on:

DEAR ABBY: You dropped the ball. No 3-year-old will respect a closed door all the time. Grandma and Grandpa are responsible for the safe-keeping of their meds while in the child's and even the grandparents' home. Bottles that rattle and pretty colors in a bottle that look like candy will attract any little kid. Grandma and Grandpa should be happy they aren't helping to pay for a funeral instead of an ER visit.

- Mesquite, Texas, Grandma

DEAR ABBY: In 2011, 67,700 toddlers were seen for accidental medication exposure. Of these, 12,390 required hospitalization. In ER visits where information was obtained, 38 percent involved grandparents' medications, 31 percent the mother's medications, 12 percent a sibling's, 8 percent the father's and 5 percent an aunt's or uncle's medication.

Family members must take precautions to keep their meds out of children's hands. I keep mine under lock and key with the key in my possession whenever I visit my grandchildren.

- Maine Pediatrician/Grandmother