PHARMACY staff have a lot on their plate at the moment in promoting the safe use of medications and continuity of supply during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With a focus on hygiene and trying to minimise patient numbers attending hospitals discussing the safe use of hand sanitiser probably seems unnecessary.
But based on reports from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) every sale of sani may need to come with the advice "not to drink it".
The CDC reported that a review of call records to poison centres had found a number of patients have been admitted to hospital in Arizona and New Mexico after consuming hand sanitiser, however, no explanation was provided for their decision to take a tipple of the bacteria killing liquid.
"This investigation highlights the serious adverse health events, including death, that can occur after ingesting alcohol-based hand sanitiser products containing methanol," the researchers said.
"Safety messaging to avoid ingestion of any alcohol-based hand sanitizer product should continue," they wrote.
"Young children might unintentionally swallow these products, whereas adolescents or adults with history of alcohol use disorder might intentionally swallow these products as an alcohol (ethanol) substitute."
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