Where do you keep your medicines?

Medicine in general is used for prevention and treatment of diseases and illness. Medicines include modern / western medicines and traditional medicines such as jamu, herbs etc. Some medicines require prescriptions after consultation with a doctor. There are also medicines which can be bought over the counter without a doctor’s prescription from a shop or pharmacy e.g. mild analgesic, antacid and jamu. It is very important to store your medicines properly for them to be effective.

Many people store their medications in the bathroom. But this popular spot is actually one of the worst places to keep medicine. Bathroom cabinets tend to be warm and humid, an environment that speeds up a drug's break down process. This is especially true for tablets and capsules. Unnecessary exposure to heat and moisture can cause them to lose their potency prior to their labeled expiration date. For example, a warm, muggy environment can cause aspirin tablets to break down into acetic acid (vinegar) and salicylic acid, both of which are potential stomach irritants.

Medicines should be kept in a cool, dry place and should not be exposed to heat and direct sunlight.

Where do you keep your medicines?

Are they in different places—with some in the medicine cabinet, some in the kitchen, and some in the bedroom or elsewhere? As a parent, grandparent, or family member, it’s important that you organize and keep track of your medicines. After all, you will want to know where a particular medicine is when you or someone else needs to find it. And you will want to keep your medicines secure so that a child, or a teenager, or even a stranger, does not get into them. That way, you can help prevent an accidental injury, as well as do your part to stop the possible abuse of prescription medicines.

The first step in getting organized is to take a look at all the medicines you have. You should try to do this type of inventory every six months, or at least once a year. Start by checking the expiration date on the bottle—you don’t want to take any chances with a medicine that no longer works the way it’s supposed to. Also, look for medicines that are discolored, dried out, crumbling, or show other signs that they are past their prime.

In addition, look for leftover prescription medicines from a previous illness or condition. You will want to discard these since you should never try to treat yourself (or anyone else) with a prescription medicine. Your symptoms might seem similar to what you had before, but the cause could be different or the medicine may not be the right one this time around.

Now that you’ve identified the medicines you want to keep, the next step is to find a safe place to keep them. You’ll want to store your medicine in an area that is convenient, but is also cool and dry – since heat and humidity can damage medicines. That’s why a bathroom is not a good place to keep your medicines unless you are able to keep the room well ventilated. (However, the bathroom medicine chest is an ideal place to keep items such as bandages, tweezers, gauze, cotton balls, scissors, and other products that aren’t affected by heat or humidity.)

Here are the PROPER WAYS to keep medicines in your home…..

Separate medicines for oral use (to be swallowed) • from medicines not for oral use (external • preparation e.g. cream).

Keep your medicines in cool and dry places • at temperatures below 25 C (not necessarily • in an air-conditioned room).

Medicines should preferably be kept in • an air tight container.

Keep your medicines in the fridge • if instructed to do so.

Keep your medicines out of reach of children • or in locked cabinets to avoid poisoning.

Here are some of the places which are NOT the proper ways to keep medicines in your home.

Medicines kept near electrical appliances which emits heat or any areas which are hot such as: • On top of the refrigerator….

Near the stove, kettle, boiler, hot water • flask and on top of the microwave, oven etc….

In place which are exposed to the sunlight • such as the window….

And inside the car……

Label instructions: It is always a good practice to read storage instructions printed on the container or strips in which the medicine comes. Many liquid medicines are required to be used within a certain number of days after opening the container, after which their potency is reduced or lost. Reading instructions on the label is therefore the first thing one should do on purchasing a medicine. In fact, these instructions are enough to store medicines properly and one does not usually require further advice on it.

How To Read A Drug Label All over-the-counter medicines must list the active ingredients and provide their basic information. This information is found in key spots on the box or bottle label.

Disposal of Expired or Unwanted Medications Discard medications that are beyond the expiration date assigned by the manufacturer or pharmacy. Also discard creams, lotions, or liquids that have separated or crystallized. Though it may be tempting to flush medication down the toilet, this is no longer considered safe, since medications have been known to leach into water supplies. However, some controlled substances have such high abuse potential that it is not safe to dispose of them by any other means. It is acceptable to throw old medication into your household trash if you have taken pains to make them unusable and inaccessible to humans or pets. The FDA recommends removing the medication from its container and mixing it in with coffee grounds, cat litter, or other unappealing garbage. This mixture should then be placed into a sealed container and disposed of in the garbage can.

Value Your Medicines And Stores Them Properly Avoid Wastage And Poisoning Protect Your Family And Save The Environment

Useful Link http://www.moh.gov.bn/pharmacyservices/storingmedicine.htm

Where do you keep your medicines?