It is of the utmost importance to keep your medicines safe, ensure they function as intended, and avoid any potential mishaps. One simple way is to avoid the hassle of keeping too many medicines on hand by purchasing compounded medicine from your local medical supply stores. If you reside in Nashville, Tennessee, you can take advantage of this chance because several compounding pharmacies create prescriptions tailored to your needs. This article will cover some recommendations to keep your medications safe and effective.
- Minimize the Number of Medicines You Store
Be mindful of your medication storage habits – avoid accumulating unnecessary medicines. Focus on keeping essential medications for common issues like headaches, stomachaches, nausea, and the flu, as well as those for your specific medical conditions. Safely dispose of expired or unused medications to declutter your medicine cabinet. If you’re looking to minimize space and costs, consider the services of the best compounding pharmacy Nashville has to offer. These pharmacies can combine multiple prescriptions into one, making it a convenient option for you. - Keep Your Medicines in a Secure Location
Keep your medicines out of children’s and pets’ reach and sight. Consider placing your medications in an elevated location that is out of their reach. For further security, think about employing a secured cabinet or drawer. Doing this will help prevent any incidents, misuse, or accidental spills and wastage of medicines by kids or pets. - Consider Keeping Your Medicines Locked
If you have any medicines that could be misused or abused, you should lock them right away. The locker must be at a location with minimal heat, light, and moisture exposure. By securely locking your prescriptions, you can be sure that no one else will have access to them except you. You can lock them in a bedside drawer, a cabinet, or somewhere in the living area, etc. Locking your medicines will help them be kept secure, in plain view, and at room temperature. - Keep Them Safe from Excess Heat
xcessive heat exposure could render your medicines ineffective or even potentially dangerous. Heat can cause chemical breakdown and other chemical reactions in medicines, lowering their potency. Heat can also modify the physical form of medications, such as softening tablets or bursting capsules. Therefore, you should keep your medicines in a cold, dry place. For instance, store it away from the stove, sink, and other hot appliances by putting it in your dresser drawer or a kitchen cabinet. - Prevent Your Medicines from Excess Air and Moisture
Excessive air and moisture can threaten the effectiveness of some medicines. Some medications can also oxidize when exposed to excessive air because they are oxygen-sensitive. The consistency and stability of the drug may change as a result. Additionally, moisture can encourage the growth of microbes in liquid pharmaceuticals, increasing the danger of contamination and rendering them unfit for human ingestion. It is recommended to keep them appropriately, in airtight containers with the caps tightly closed and in a cold and dry location, according to the instructions given. - Use Childproof Containers
To ensure that children do not reach the medicine bottles, use child-resistant closures such as twist-turn closures, pull-squeeze closures, press-turn closures, blister packs, and alternatives. Children frequently mistake medications for candy, and they are captivated by them and curious to try them, which could put them at risk because they have the potential to ingest significant dosages of medicines or even spill them and play with them. Hence, keeping your medicines safe and secure from children will prevent medicine wastage and keep your children safe as well. - Use Pill-organizers
A practical approach to improve the safety of medicines is to use pill organizers to arrange medications seven days a week. It eliminates the possibility of mistakenly taking the wrong medication or the same medication twice because it is labeled with the days of the week or times of day that you should take a specific medicine. If you have a designated container for your daily doses, you are less likely to leave medicine bottles around where kids or pets could access them. - Ensure the Safety of Your Medicines While Traveling
To prevent confusion while traveling, keep your medications in their original containers with the labels retained. Pack them in your handbag to avoid exposure to harsh temperatures or getting lost. Furthermore, if you need to carry medicines that require cold storage, use a cooler with ice packs to keep the temperature at the appropriate level. - Avoid Storing Your Medicines in the Bathroom
As per majority practice, most people store medications in their bathroom storage compartments. This might not be a good thing because your shower and sink’s heat, moisture, and humidity could potentially damage your medications. Consequently, this increases the risk of losing potency and effectiveness, even before it expires. - Maintain a Medication List
Keeping a medication list to manage your medications safely and successfully is important. This list can contain the number of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and other supplements that are required each month and can be used to track your health concerning your medication use. Maintaining records lowers the possibility of medication errors to ensure that you take the appropriate prescriptions at the proper quantities and intervals. Additionally, it prevents duplicate purchases or consumption of both. - Update Your Medicines Stock Bi-yearly
Spend some time reviewing your medication inventory at least twice each year. Check expiration dates and properly discard everything that is no longer needed or expired. Save yourself the storage space and the risk of consuming expired medicines.
Conclusion
These are crucial suggestions that you need to follow to keep your medicines safe. All in all, it goes without saying that you should store your medications in the safest possible manner to maintain their effectiveness and prevent any adverse effects on health. Moreover, it is essential to have a proper storage plan for your medicines to avoid the risk of medication errors, duplication, or wastage of medicines. It should always be out of reach of kids and pets to prevent any mishaps due to accidental ingestions.
We are not doctors and this is in no way intended to be used as medical advice and we cannot be held responsible for your results. As with any product, service or supplement, use at your own risk. Always do your own research before using.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.