Medication needs to be carefully stored. Improper storage can have dire consequences. Most people don’t store their medications properly.
Storing medications doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, it’s quite simple.
Here are five easy tips for storing your medicine safely.
1. Keep it Cool
Some medications are sensitive to temperature changes.
Liquid medicines are particularly sensitive to heat. Some of these might need to be stored in the refrigerator. Most don’t need to be kept that cold.
Where you should store your medicine depends on where you live.
If you live in a very hot climate, you will need to be extra vigilant about keeping your medicine cold. Consider this while traveling. You might need to take extra precautions.
Ice chests or ice packs are good for traveling with medicine. Make sure you double-check to make sure the ice hasn’t melted.
Cellars are ideal for keeping things cool. However, cellars aren’t that practical if you don’t want to go downstairs every day.
If your air conditioning breaks, double-check your medicine. It could have gone bad without you realizing it.
Ask your pharmacist how to store your specific medication.
2. Focus on Freshness
Many medications expire.
This is particularly true of natural medicine like medical marijuana. You need to know how to store weed if you are using prescription cannabis.
Cannabis should be kept in a cool area away from light.
The shelf life is not as long as for other medications. If exposed to too much oxygen, it can go bad. It can also make your house smell like weed.
Store weed and similar medications in an airtight container that will keep the substance fresh. If you don’t use your medicine frequently, you need to make sure it will last as long as possible.
Medication is expensive. It would be a shame for it to go to waste.
Think about weed and medicine like you would other expensive products. You wouldn’t leave a fancy wine out at room temperature or in the heat. The same goes for marijuana.
Consuming a damaged product can be dangerous. Chemical compounds change over time. They can become more potent or lose their effect.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
If you think something has gone bad, don’t consume it.
3. Avoid Light
Sunlight is good for your skin, but not for medicine.
UV rays will alter the chemical construction of medications and similar products. They also contain heat that could damage the product.
This is why medicine cabinets are so popular. Even if your bathroom is sunny, you can store the medicine without much exposure to light.
If you don’t have a medicine cabinet, find a sealed box.
Glass isn’t ideal because the light will go straight through clear glass. If you have to use glass, use dark glass that is black or green.
Light damage is the reason why most wines are bottled in dark glass.
4. Use Fun Containers
Brighten up your space with fun containers.
Find something colorful like a tin tea set. Tea tins are probably your best option. They are airtight, block light, and keep things cool.
Tea tins also come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.
Maybe you don’t want other people to know you’re taking medicine. No one would suspect that it isn’t zea in your tea tin.
Orange pill bottles don’t look very nice, either. They can really ruin your bathroom décor. Just make sure you don’t throw away the label.
Most pill bottles will fit inside a tea tin if you don’t want to throw them out.
5. Don’t Forget to Label
Labels are extremely important.
Taking the wrong medication or improper dosage can be deadly.
Make sure everything is properly labeled and that everyone can read the label. If you have poor handwriting, print labels so that there’s no confusion.
Double-check that the dosage is printed right.
If you have any questions about the dosage, ask your doctor before taking anything. Sometimes labels are misprinted.
Color-coat your labels to help tell things apart.
Write the days of the week and times you should take the medicine.
Read also: Antioxidants Explained
Conclusion
Don’t overlook proper storage. It will take some time to organize things, but it’s worth it.
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