How to properly store medicine (Photo: Pexels / Pixabay.com)
All medicines have storage requirements specified by the manufacturer, but not everyone follows them, and this can cause harm.
Keeping medicines at home plays an important role in ensuring their effectiveness and safety.
Exposure to light, humidity, and extreme temperatures can damage both prescription and over-the-counter medications, making them less effective and, in rare cases, even toxic.
We have prepared several rules on how to store your medicines in order not to spoil the medicines, which are now significantly more expensive.
Buy an organizer
A lockable pill box will keep your worries at bay and provide peace of mind for the whole family as dangerous items are kept in a medicine box out of reach of children.
Many medicines are dangerous if stored improperly. This is especially worrying if there are small children in the house. To be safe, we advise you to keep all medicines securely locked in the box.
Do not hoard medicine
Many drugs go bad after a while, and all packages should have an expiration date. From time to time, perhaps every three months, go through the medicine storage box and sort out anything that has expired, then dispose of it.
For this, professional equipment is used where the drugs are burned, and then the gas formed as a result of disposal is burned. Abroad, medical drugs are regularly collected from residents.
General temperature control
For most oral medications, manufacturers guarantee effectiveness when the medication is stored at a temperature of up to 25 degrees. Outside this range, the medicine may start to break down. Even blood glucose meters and diagnostic test strips are sensitive to heat, cold and moisture, as are medicines.
Biological drugs, unopened insulin and a number of other injectable drugs require refrigeration. Most oral medications, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin work well at room temperature but are sensitive to light and moisture.
Therefore, bathrooms are not the best place to store medicines due to high temperature and humidity. The best choice is a kitchen counter or cabinet away from children, sunlight and heat sources. Another option is a drawer in the bedroom dresser, provided that it is used every day so that the pills are not forgotten.
Sort your medications
Everyone has different ways of classifying their medications, so consider the method that makes the most sense for your family. If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few categories to consider:
Divide medications in your home medicine cabinet by purpose, such as pain, flu symptoms, first aid, allergies, etc.
Keep children’s medications separate from adults’ to help you easily find the right medication, especially for late-night emergencies.
Place medications in the appropriate sections of the medicine cabinet based on their frequency of use — frequently used medications are closer to visible locations.
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Legal information. This article contains general information of a reference nature and should not be considered as an alternative to the recommendations of a doctor. NV is not responsible for any diagnosis made by the reader based on the materials on the site. NV is also not responsible for the content of other Internet resources linked to in this article. If you are worried about your health, consult a doctor.
