Secretary of State
Safety First Campaign Project:
Use Caution, Drive Safely

Please click here for a donation form

Thank you ...
to following donors for their support in promoting the pharmacy profession!

The Michigan Pharmacists Association launched a public awareness and education campaign relating to appropriate medication use and potential concerns associated with driving while taking certain medications. This campaign alerts Michigan citizens to the critical need for using caution when taking prescription and nonprescription medications in conjunction with driving a vehicle. Patients are encouraged to contact their pharmacists to answer questions and for help in providing alternatives to prescription and over-the-counter medications that can cause drowsiness. The campaign also focuses on providing patients with information on what to do when they experience drowsiness-related side effects caused by medication and are driving or are scheduled to drive. With this information, patients are able to make appropriate decisions related to driving that will result in improved safety and decreased accidents associated with medication-related driving impairment. The spokesperson selected for this campaign is Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land.

This project is a statewide educational effort that includes mass media exposure, as well as a patient-specific effort through cooperation with pharmacies, hospitals and Secretary of State offices. The campaign includes media presentations in key cities (Grand Rapids and Detroit), 20 billboards located throughout the entire state, radio public service announcements, newspaper columns, editorials and press releases. Pharmacies and hospitals throughout the state will be provided posters, brochures and other patient educational materials for outreach to their patients.

If you have further questions about this campaign, please contact Karen Jonas, MPA Director of Professional Practice, at (517) 377-0254 or by e-mail.

Additional Resources:

"Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs and Driving" (Key Points of Article)

• Taking sedative antidepressants even ten hours before driving is equal to driving drunk.
• OTC decongestants can cause drowsiness, anxiety and dizziness.
• Some drugs make you feel alert and confident in your driving, when in actuality, you are driving impaired.
• The full article provides a list of common prescription and OTC drugs that cause driving impairment.

Click here to read the full article.

"Drug Impaired Driving" (Summary of Article)

Alcohol and illegal drugs are not the only culprits of driving impairment, which is the leading cause of car accidents. Impairment can also be caused by common prescription and OTC medications. These drugs may ince drowsiness or excitability and include antihistamines, allergy medications, painkillers and cough medications, among others. Talk to your pharmacist to learn about the side effects of any medications you are taking and always read the label. Do not mix alcohol with your medication and never take more than the recommended dose.

Click here to read the full article.

"OTC Medications and Drowsiness" (Summary of Article)

Pharmacists should be aware of drugs that cause drowsiness and should advise patients against using these products when sleep is not a desired effect. Sleepiness is one of the most common adverse reactions of antihistamines. Approximately 50 percent of users experience drowsiness as a result of using antihistamines. Choosing your nonprescription products wisely may help prevent drowsiness, and will help you drive safely.

Click here to read the full article.

"Asleep at the Wheel" (Summary of Article)

Fatigue is a serious cause of vehicular accidents, yet few people are aware of the fact that a significant cause of fatigue is the use of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. OTC medications present a particularly serious problem because people assume that since they are available over the counter, they are completely safe. A large emphasis has been placed on impairment caused by consumption of alcohol and drugs, but medications can cause equally or even more serious problems. The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that 16,000 auto accidents are attributed to impairment from prescription and OTC drugs each year. It is also reported that sedating antihistamines contribute to approximately 600 auto fatalities and 50,000 auto injuries each year.

Click here to read the full article.

"Common Medications Can Impair Driving" (Summary of Article)

Although the FDA approves safety labels for prescription drugs, it is the responsibility of the physicians and pharmacists to communicate these risks to the patient. Pharmacists should explain what the labels mean, as reading does not always lead to understanding. A study released by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, shows that drivers taking medications that may cause drowsiness were vulnerable to crashes. Those people in fatigue-related crashes were 4-5 times more likely to be taking medications. The riskiest medications include OTC antihistamines, Valium, some antidepressants, antipsychotics, barbituates and codeine-containing products.

Click here to read the full article.

"Driving and Antihistamines" (Key Points of Article)

• Prescription and OTC medications may cause impairment in driving such as perception, cognitive tasks, visual functions and reaction time.
• First generation medications cause a significantly greater impairment than second generation medications (however, medications in both generations were found to cause impairments).
• In a study of demographics, the populations most likely to be affected by driving impairments caused by medication side effects are women and the elderly.

Click here to read the full article.

"A Survey of the Attitudes of the American People on Highway & Auto Safety" (Key Points of Article)

• 80% of American people say that drowsiness and falling asleep at the wheel is a serious problem.
• Most Americans say they are either "very aware" (52%) or "somewhat aware" (28%) that drowsiness in driving may be caused by taking medications.
• These statistics indicate that American people have a knowledge of and are interested in issues concerning driving safely while taking medications.
• 85% of the public believe it is important that people who take such medications should be warned specifically not to drive a car after taking them or should take alternative medications.

Click here to read the full article.

"Drinking and Driving" (Key Points of Article)

• Driving involves multiple tasks and alertness is crucial for driving safely.
• Combining sedatives and alcohol increase crash risk.
• The ability to steer is impaired by low doses of sedatives alone. With the addition of alcohol, this impairment increases.
• Frequently used medications, such as codeine, can impair driving skills.

Click here to read the full article.

"The Older Adult Driver" (Key Points of Article)

• An association between the use of long-acting benzodiazepines and crash rates in older adults has been reported.
• Some cases of physician liability that involve driving are related to medication prescription.
• A review of patient medications should be done and drugs that could impair driving ability should be discontinued.
• Classes of drugs, such as nonsedating antihistamines, should be chosen as alternatives.

Click here to read the full article.

"Tiredness Can Kill: Advice for Drivers" (Summary of Article)

Up to one fifth of driving accidents may be caused by falling asleep at the wheel. Drowsiness is included as a side effect of numerous prescription and OTC medications. Patients should always read the warning labels on their medications in order to be aware of the effect they could have on their driving.

Click here to read the full article.

"National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Drugs and Human Performance Fact Sheets" (Key Points of Article)

• Diphenhydramine (found in many antihistamines, sleep aids and sedatives) causes significantly less coherence and impaired lane keeping while driving.
• It is concluded that diphenhydramine may have an even greater impact than alcohol on operating a motor vehicle.
• These findings are the result of a study designed to provide practical guidance for health professionals, law enforcement and the general public on issues related to drug impaired driving.

Click here to read the full article.