Precautions For Preserving Medication

Proper storage of medication is essential to maintain its effectiveness, which is why you can’t just store it everywhere. In fact, the most suitable place is a cool and dry place.

As you can read in this article, you must follow certain rules to ensure that the medicines remain safe and effective until the day they expire.

Medication Storage Tips

Several factors can affect the stability of a drug. Below we will list the most important advice for storing medication for you.

Temperature

This is one of the factors that most influence the shelf life of a medicine. That is why it is important to keep them in cool, dry places. Make sure that the temperature in these places is stable and that there are no sudden changes.

Pharmaceutical form

When storing medication, you also have to take the dosage form into account. Liquid forms are generally more unstable than tablets or capsules. Their properties also change more easily than those of solids.

Multi-dose drugs

These are the medicine packs that you have to open every time you need to use them, such as syrups or eye drops. Opening them several times can alter their stability and create health risks.

So keep in mind that the effectiveness of multi-dose drugs is not determined by the expiration date, but by when you first open them. The expiration date after opening is usually stated on the package insert and is often shorter than the expiration date.

Note the date on which you opened the package on the packaging to know how long it can be stored and to avoid possible mistakes. Of course, you can avoid problems by simply throwing away leftovers as soon as you’re done with your treatment.

Medicine Storage Tips

Most medicines can usually be stored at room temperature, but there are also some that require special storage. Some recommendations for storing it include:

• Store them in a cool, dry place where there are no sudden changes in temperature.
• Do not place them near electrical appliances.

• Keep the original packaging.
• Use smaller pill boxes.
• Do not keep them in the bathroom or kitchen, because there is a higher humidity there and there are more temperature fluctuations.
• Keep them out of the reach of children.

Other Medicine Storage Recommendations

Now you know that you need to choose the most suitable place to store medicines. In addition, look for a way to maintain optimal conditions for medicines when you travel.

In addition, the best before date is an important factor to guarantee efficacy. However, do not confuse the expiration date with the shelf life after opening. The latter starts as soon as you open the package. In addition, you should always read the package leaflet before using any medicine.

Keep the packaging and the package leaflet

As we mentioned above, you should read the package and package insert of every medication you use to find out the best way to store it. Also note the expiration date here and whether you need to take special measures to administer it.

You may not know it, but you can always take expired medicines and medicines you no longer need to the collection point of your local pharmacy.

Change of appearance

Do not take medicines after the date indicated on the package or if you notice any changes in their quality. Turbidity and change of color indicate that the product is no longer stable. If in doubt, don’t use it.