15 tips to store medicine
1. Most medications should be stored in a dry place away from heat and humidity. Some medications also have special instructions for storage. Check for special instructions on your prescription label.
2. If there is cotton in the pill bottle when you first open it, remove the cotton and throw it away because the cotton can absorb moisture and affect the medicine that is inside.
3. Never take medicine in the dark because good lighting near where you store your medicines will help you make sure you are taking the right medicine.
4. Keep the medicine in the bottle it came in. The amber color protects the medicine from light. You will also have the information right there about what the medicine is and how often to take it.
5. If your medication needs to be protected from light, it should be stored in a container that filters out light, such as a clean film canister.
6. If your medication needs to be refrigerated, and you do not have a fridge available (for example, if you are working outside or on the road all day), try using a cooler with an ice pack.
7. Keep track of the expiry dates of the medications. The ideal way to do this is to keep the medications in their original prescription vial. But, you can also put this information on a sticker on the container that you are using for the medication.
8. Don't store multiple medications in the same vial, as this makes it hard to keep track of which medications are which, which doses have been taken, and what the expiry dates are.
9. Never mix different medicine in the same bottle. You might end up taking the wrong one by mistake. It is also possible that some of one medicine could rub off on another and affect how well it works.
10. Mixing prescription drugs with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter, and putting them in impermeable, non-descript containers, such as empty cans or sealable bags; will further ensure the drugs are not diverted.
11. If there are children around, you might want to find an area where you can lock up your medicines. A cabinet or a drawer with a lock on it would work.
12. Keep your medicines separate from those of your spouse or other family members (for instance, on a different shelf or at least on a separate side of a shelf). This will make it less likely that you take the wrong ones by mistake.
13. Take unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers and throw them in the trash.
14. Keep the label of medication and read the medicine label properly. You can also write the phone number of the pharmacy on the label so you can call when it is time for a refill.
15. The final step is to take a look at all the medicine you have. You should try to do this type of inventory every six months, by this ways; you can help prevent an accidental injury, as well as do your part to stop the possible abuse of prescription medicine.
The write up is compiled by Muhammad Arifur Rahman, Asst. Professor of Dpt. of Pharmacy, Daffodil International University.
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