The AGM of the Irish Pharmaceutical Union has heard that 4,000 children in Ireland are accidentally poisoned each year.
The number is based on figures from the Poisons Information Centre in Beaumont Hospital.
The AGM also heard that 70 per cent of the calls received by the Centre each year related to medicines.
According to the IPU, the figures highlight the threat caused by unused medicines in Ireland — many of which are kept in unsecured locations in people's homes with the obvious dangers that this entails.
The AGM was considering a motion calling for the roll out of a national campaign to encourage people to dispose of unused medicines through their local pharmacy.
Darragh O'Loughlin Galway Pharmacist and Chairman of the IPU's Community Pharmacy Committee said "I would advise people to dispose of any unwanted medicines they have in their homes. In particular, Paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin are common causes of accidental poisoning in children. Even though these medicines can be obtained without a doctor's prescription, they are still very dangerous, if taken incorrectly."
The meeting also heard that 8, 000 people present at A&E departments each year due to deliberate drug overdose according to the National Suicide Research Foundation. In most cases prescription or over the counter medication is involved. There are around 50 cases a year of suicide as a result of drug overdose.
The South Western Area Health Board has been running a DUMP Campaign since January 2004 and has collected 13.5 tonnes of medicines to date.
The HSE Dublin/Mid-Leinster and HSE Midlands and Southern Areas have recently undertaken to fund DUMP campaigns through community pharmacies to return out of date or unused medicines. The Union is calling on the HSE to extend this programme nationwide.