Keep the right medication

Going through your over-the-counter or prescription drugs can be a slow and successful start to your organising journey. It’s something you can do at your own time. So this week, put your favourite music on and keep you and your family safe. Review the medication you keep in your home.

What to keep

If you keep your medicine in different areas, you may want to collect it in one spot and then start reviewing what you all got.

It sounds obvious but only keep the medication which is still valid. Discard expired medicine. Don’t use eye drops open more than 6 months ago.

Any lotions which are discoloured or separated need to be discarded.

Anything nearing its expiring date should be carefully watch. For example, you have malaria tablets valid only for the next month. You know already that within the next 4 weeks you will not be travelling to a malaria-prone region. Discard these pills now.

Keep only the prescription you’re still using. If your doctor has changed your prescription drugs, discard your previous one.

How to recycle

Please do not recycle or donate any drugs. Don’t flush them down the toilet. The ingredients will go into ground water and consequently drinking water. It also impacts wild life

Blacken out your personal information on the packaging. Don’t crush any pills and keep it in its packaging, if still available.

Give them to your pharmacist or doctor for the appropriate recycling. In some countries, pharmacist are legally obliged to accept your old medicine.

Where to store it

Many families keep their medication in the so called medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Due to the humidity and changing temperatures, a bathroom, however, is not the appropriate place. Find a dry place. It should be easy for you to reach and yet, if you have children, you may want to also have the option to lock it.

Some medication requires cooler temperatures and you may need to keep them in your fridge. Make sure your kids can’t accidentally use them.

If possible, keep your drugs in their original packaging. This makes it easier for you to remember what it’s for (plus read about its ingredients, side effects, etc.) and to store. Taller packages can go to the end while smaller boxes can be stored at the front.

Put medication you need on a regular or more frequent basis at an easy to reach place within your medicine cabinet. Other medicine like wound lotion or fever reducing pain killers, which you may need less often, can be put higher up or further away.

As you’re going through your medication, what’s surprised you most?

Until next time,
Agni