Why Proper Medication Storage Is Important?
How closely a patient adheres to a prescribed medication treatment plan is essential to the success of the patient’s care and to achieve clinical objectives. Unsafe medication storage practices and medication errors are primary sources of causing severe harm to health and even death. The World Health Organization shows that the annual cost of drug errors is estimated to be $42 billion USD worldwide. These mistakes might happen at several stages of the medicine use process.
Proper medication storage is important to guarantee that patients receive an adequate dosage of the medication. Drugs that are not maintained properly might break down, resulting in incorrect dosing and potentially dangerous health issues.
It is more likely that patients will mix up different sorts of medicine if they are not properly categorized, labeled, and stored. Such errors can have severe consequences, including fatal outcomes and potentially risky side effects.
Prescription medications can also be misused by individuals other than the intended patient if they are not stored properly. There is a chance of drug interactions or infection when medicines are kept together in storage. These interactions can lead to undesirable side effects or limit the effectiveness of the medication.
Tips For Safe Medication Storage
- Keep your medications in a cool, dry area. Keep it away from the stove, sink, and other hot appliances, such as in your dresser, drawer or a kitchen cabinet. Additionally, you can keep medicines in a closet, a shelf, or a storage box.
- Always keep children out of reach of your medicines. Accidental medication consumption is a common cause of child poisoning events. Most often, if medications are stored properly, this can be avoided. Medications should always be stored in locked cabinets or drawers or at higher levels.
- Reading and understanding the information mentioned on the medication‘s label is important for proper storage adherence because some medications require specific storage conditions.
- Medicines should be kept in their original packaging. The drug is shielded from light and moisture by these containers. If you move pills to pill organizers or other containers you should make sure those containers are well airtight.
- Refrigeration may be necessary for several medications, including liquid medicine and some antibiotics. If there are any specific storage instructions, always read the label. If refrigeration is necessary, keep them stored away from food and label them clearly.
- When you travel, to protect the medicines from direct exposure to the temperature, you should store your prescription pills in their original containers.
Know About Your Medications With Calgary Drugmart
At Calgary Drugmart, we provide extensive guidance for you to get the best possible knowledge on your medication. To help you better understand your medications and how to use them our committed pharmacists may offer thorough consultations.
In order to maintain the efficiency and safety of your recommended medications and other treatments, we also provide essential advice on medicine storage. We highlight the significance of keeping medicines out of the reach of children and animals while also storing them in a cool, dry location away from heat sources and direct sunshine.
Beyond simply supplying medication, we are dedicated to your overall health and are here to make sure you get the finest care possible, including professional advice on secure drug storage.
