Tips on How to Store Medicines at Home
For safety reasons and to preserve all the properties of medicines, experts advise storing them in an airtight container with a child-proof lid. In this case, it is necessary to read the storage conditions of each medicine. This will be discussed in detail in the instructions. Some medicines are recommended to be stored in a dark place at room temperature, others will have to be stored in the refrigerator. In this case, it will also be necessary to think about how to prevent medicines from getting into the refrigerator from the playful children’s hands.
It is important to read the instructions for the drug
Firstly, from it you can always find out the storage conditions of the medicine. And although the doctor prescribes the dosage for you, you can always see before or after a meal it is recommended to take this drug.
And secondly, the elderly, and even young people, sin by not reading the instructions for the medicine, which is prescribed for continuous use. And this is also wrong. Over time, the instructions are updated with new data. This concerns their safety and effectiveness. It is important not to miss all these changes. For example, you may have been prescribed a brand new drug that will reduce the effectiveness of an old one. An entry about this appeared in the instructions for the old medicine quite recently. You didn’t even read about it.
Away from moisture
All dosage forms, including tablets, capsules, dry mixtures, bandages and plasters, absorb moisture, which causes their quality to deteriorate. Therefore, a locker in a humid bathroom or a “hot” kitchen with an electric stove are not the best places for storage Pharmacy Direct products. The bedroom and living room are more favorable in this sense.
Far from the light
Medicines should be stored in a dark place, because under the influence of ultraviolet rays of sunlight, many chemical reactions occur, leading to the fact that products not only lose their effectiveness, but can also cause poisoning. That is why the best place for storage is a cabinet with opaque doors.
A dark container is also a great option for storing medicines. And it is desirable to store there even drugs for daily use. You can leave on the bedside table or at the head of the bed only those medicines that are packaged in opaque, dark bottles.
Far from the heat
Many people prefer to store medicines in the refrigerator, but is there a need for this? Most preparations are stored at room temperature, and only a few require “special conditions”. As a rule, in the annotation to such drugs it is written “to store in a cool dry place.” These drugs include almost all eye drops, ear preparations, suppositories, ointments, vaccines, pro- and prebiotics, insulin.
It is best for such medicines to “live” on the refrigerator door or on the bottom shelf, the main thing is not to overdo it with the cold, in the freezer, for example, at temperatures below zero, many medicines will completely lose their properties, so observe the temperature regime of 2 – 8 ° C for storage .
Remember that even when stored in the refrigerator, it is necessary to protect medicines from moisture, namely condensate, so put the medicines in a bag or container that will protect them from liquid.
The best packaging is original
Wherever you store medicines, keep order. Divide medicines into external and internal preparations, arrange them in different shelves and containers, stick stickers, in a word, create your own system so that you can easily find the product you need.
Do not pour tablets into other packages, do not cut off parts from blisters and do not throw away instructions for use, otherwise you may lose information about the name of the drug, its use and expiration date. Keep medicines in their original packaging and do not expose yourself and your loved ones to the risk of taking an expired or inappropriate product.
Properly store and properly take the medicine
- Keep medicines in their original packaging. The tablets look the same, so you will know what the medicine is and how to take it.
- Never take other people’s medicines. The dose may not be right for you, there may be a negative effect with the medications you are already taking.
- Turn on the light to take your medicine. If you can’t see what you’re taking, you might be taking the wrong medicine.
- Do not store medicines in the bathroom or in the light. Humidity, heat, and light can adversely affect the efficacy and safety of medicines.
- Keep medicines for humans separate from medicines for animals or household chemicals. This way you eliminate the possibility of confusion.
