Medication Storage Tips
Keeping your medicine safe!
To prevent poisoning accidents and ensure that your medicines work properly, it’s important to store them properly. Appropriate storage of drugs is important for ensuring the quality, efficacy and safety of drugs.
The TIPS about storing medicines:
1) Read the Label.
Follow the storage instruction on the label carefully. Some medications may require refrigeration, while others need to be kept at room temperature.
2) Store your medication in a safe, designated place.
Choose a specific place to store your medication. Make sure it is safe and out of the reach of children. Keeping medication in a designated place ensures easy access, especially in emergency situations.
3) Keep medicine in their original packaging.
Keep medicine in their original containers and packaging to protect them from light, moisture and air. Avoid transferring pills into other containers as this can lead to confusion and potentially dangerous medication errors.
4) Keep medication out of reach of children and pets.
In 60% of emergency room visits for medicine poisoning, the medicine was within reach of a child. Therefore, store medication in a locked cabinet or out of reach of children and pets to prevent accidental ingestion
5) Check expiration dates.
Be sure to check the expiration dates on all medications and discard any that have expired. Expired medication may not be effective and coin potentially be harmful.
Found Expired Medicine and don’t know what to do?
STOP throwing unwanted medicines into the rubbish bin or flushing them down the toilet! Medicine traces often passed through the sewage treatment plants and landfill sites, released into the water source. Water is filtered to drinking quality, but residual medicines remain. Studies show traces of antibiotics and painkillers are found in the tap water.
Did You Know?
Even the medicine traces found are at much lower concentration. Long term exposure to these traces could potentially lead to adverse health effects.
That is why CARiNG Pharmacy launched our ‘Do It Right’ campaign! ‘Do It Right’ campaign is an initiative from CARiNG Pharmacy to increase the awareness of proper medicine disposal. Remember, send your unwanted medicines to CARiNG Pharmacy to prevent polluting our environment with medicinal waste.
Lead the way, start doing it right today! Want to know more about The DO IT RIGHT campaign? Visit your nearest CARiNG Pharmacy today!
References:
- Safe and proper storage of medicines. Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia [Online]. URL: http://www.myhealth.gov.my/en/safe-and-proper-storage-of-medicines/
- Keep your home safe for kids. Get Relief Responsibly. [Online]. URL: https://www.getreliefresponsibly.com/safety-in-the-home#the-bedroom
- Storing Your Medicines. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. [Online]. URL: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000534.htm
- DO IT RIGHT. CARiNG Pharmacy. [Online]. URL: https://www.caring2u.com/caring_services/doitright/
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