About OTC Literacy

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From the American Association of Poison Control Centers and Scholastic, with support from McNeil Consumer Healthcare, OTC Literacy was developed to raise awareness about the safe use of over-the-counter medicine and provide resources to better equip educators, school nurses, and families with knowledge about OTC medicines and responsible usage.

Age-Appropriate and Audience Approved

OTC Literacy's comprehensive unit for 6th-grade educators combines assessment quizzes, interactive lesson plans, student printables, and at-home resources. This program was specifically created for use by 6th-grade teachers and students, and includes age-appropriate messages that have been tested with students and teachers. Teachers and students in this age group participated in focus groups and provided valuable input on the program's messages, content, and lessons.

Students found OTC Literacy's lessons engaging and relevant in raising awareness and dispelling misconceptions about OTC medicines. Teachers shared a need for interactive materials on over-the-counter medicines to help teach students real-life skills. Educating 6th-grade students about OTC medicine safety can have a potentially lifesaving impact, and it can make a positive difference in the classroom as well.

Learning Outside the Classroom

OTC Literacy helps move the learning outside the classroom by including school nurses and students' families in the education process. Also available are print resources created especially for school nurses or the campus's health and wellness office to help reinforce OTC medicine safety with students. A family newsletter will explain the program and its goals, and will offer extension activities to help facilitate at-home discussion of this important topic.

Visit the OTC Literacy sidebar now to access lesson plans, teacher instructions, student worksheets, assessment tools, and more.