Where to store medicines at home
In 2010, our country was the second most consumed drugs in the world, only surpassed by the United States. In fact, already at that time it was estimated that the Spanish public health system would exceed one billion prescriptions of medicines per year at the end of that same year, which was equivalent to an average of about 21 prescriptions per person per year.
Not in vain, if I asked you for your own medicine kit at home, it is quite probable that among them you have commonly used medicines and health products, such as acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, antacids, hydrogen peroxide and some other anti-inflammatory cream useful for contusions.
However, we must not forget something very important: the place and the conditions of this one where we keep the medicines influences decisively in its expiration, a question that in fact not only depends on your date of consumption. Why? Very simple: humidity, heat or excess light can cause many medicines to degrade before, so that their active principle could be reduced. On its expiration, in general terms most medicines and medicines have an expiration date of between 2 to 5 years.
Some aspects to keep in mind when saving medicines and medicines
There are some aspects or elements that you should keep in mind when saving, keeping and storing the medicines you have at home. The most important are the following:
- Temperature: maintaining an adequate temperature is essential and essential for medicines to be better preserved. This should not be too cold or too hot, but rather mild, trying to keep them at room temperature (that is, between 23 and 27 degrees).
- Keep the boxes: given that the way of conservation and the expiration period itself are explained in the boxes and packaging of the medicines, it is very important to conserve them although at the moment we are not going to continue using said medicine.
- Save the prospects: along with the medication box it is also very important to keep the leaflet, since it indicates the steps to follow for its adequate consumption and the possible contraindications or risks that may exist.
And where should we store medicines and medicines at home?
Maintaining a suitable temperature (at room temperature), and keeping the boxes and the leaflets, we find another obvious question: What place in the house is best suited to store them correctly?.
In this sense, It is very important to keep medicines and medicines away from moisture and heat sources. So, neither the kitchen nor the bathroom are the most suitable places, despite being the two places of choice by the majority of Spaniards. The reason is very simple: they are the two rooms of the house where the most extreme temperatures can be given (by the use of kitchen fire), and there is a lot of humidity (from the shower or the bathtub in the bathroom).
On the other hand, It is advisable to store the drugs in a closed drawer, protected from direct light and always out of reach of children.
Images | Nacho This article is published for informational purposes only. It can not and should not replace the consultation with a Physician. We advise you to consult your Trusted Doctor.