Buying Medicine? Stop, Look, Look Again

Buying Medicine?

HELP PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST TAMPERING

Before you buy it take a look; before you take it look again.

U.S. nonprescription, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are among the most safely packaged consumer products in the world. Most by law are sealed in tamper-evident packaging for your protection. But manufacturers cannot make a tamper-proof package. They can only make the safest package that technology allows. The rest is up to you.

You can help protect yourself

• Read the label. OTC medicines with tamper-evident packages tell you on the label what seals and other features you should look for.
• Inspect the outer packaging. Look before you buy it!
• Inspect the medicine itself when you open the package. Look again before you take it! If it looks suspicious, be suspicious.
• Look especially for capsules or tablets that are different in any way from others in the package.
• Don't use any medicine from a package that shows cuts, slices, tears or other imperfections.
• Never take medicines in the dark.
• Read the label and look at the medicine every time you take a dose.

If in doubt tell somebody

Not every change in the appearance or condition of a product means that it has been tampered with. But if there is any question in your mind, don't buy it, don't use it and don't leave it at that. Tell somebody who can do something about it!

Whenever you suspect anything wrong with a medicine or its packaging, take it back to the store. If there is a real problem, the manager will report it to the proper authorities.

Remember

No one can prevent tampering. What tamper-evident packaging does is try to provide evidence of tampering that you can see if you look.

What you can do is pay attention to the safety features that the manufacturer has provided. With a little time, a little care and your own good sense you can be the best safety feature of all.