Background Posioning is the leading causes of childhood injury told by China National Injury Surveillance System (NISS). There is no research on children’s medicine safety issue in China. This research includes a retrospetive study on hospital data, a questionnaire survey among paediatricians, parents and behaviour tests among children.

Methods 603 medical cases that related to medication poisoning among were collected through from Beijing Capital Children’s Hospital and Shanghai Children’s Medical Centre during the year 2012 to 2014. Opinions of 146 paediatricians from 114 hospitals in 35 cities were collected through a questionnaire during a national seminar. Awareness of 1760 kindergarten children’s parents’ in 4 cities were collected through questionnaires. Ideas of 218 children were collected through one-on-one dialogue by the trained teachers and every child was asked to open medicine bottles with or without child-proof, the time was recorded.

Results Medication accounted over half of all poisoning cases in children’s hospitals; 1–4 age group was the leading victims. Main cause is mistaking by children (79.2%); There is an out-standing increase on cardiovascular medicines mistaken by children such as anti-hypertension. Half parents have placed home medicine in an easier way for adult’s reach. 98% of kindergarten children could opened non child-proofing bottles in 2.5 seconds while 16.7% of them opened child-proofing bottles in 9.6 seconds; 41% paediatricians thought it a must to talk with parents on medication safety while almost all paediatricians admitted that they barely have time to do so.

Conclusions There is a strenuous need on Child medication safety in China. Safe storage is the key action for the intervention. Paediatricians have a great opportunity to be involved in medication safety promotion. There is another opportunity to engage grandparents as they are one of the main caregivers.