Medicine Storage

[Smoka90]

Hopefully this is the right forum to post this topic.

Don't know about anyone else, but am I massively OCD about my meds. For me, they have to be in blisters, kept in a drawer, organised and away from sunlight. While they're still around anyway.

I wondered if anyone had any tips on tablet/med storage. I was wondering if there were any storage methods that would mean the meds would expire before their expiry date.

For now, they're just in a drawer, but I always worry about heat, humidity etc. But if they're blistered, surely humidity wouldn't be an issue.

Any ideas or tips would be awesome. And I'd like to know that I'm not the only one OCD about med storage.

 

[Phrenicz]

Ha! You are definitely not on your own regarding the OCD storage of meds... I'm like a nutjob with mine, they're even in alphabetical order?!...

Being a musician, I have many plastic flight cases hanging around.. I also have some smaller, very robust locking ones for transporting hard disks around. I find these ideal, they are foam lined and can actually be vacuum sealed! (However, I haven't gone that far yet!)...

This is where I keep mine...

I keep all in blisters or sealed bags, depending on the substance.. As long as it's stored in a cool place (not too cool), with zero exposure to sunlight, I think that's the best you can do really?

I live in the UK though, so we don't really have humidity issues here.. Just wind, rain, fog and all around weather misery

~P~

 

[headbanger]

Smoka 90 if they are sealed in blisters they will not expire unless you expose them to unfavorable temps.

Plus the dirty little secret in the Pharm industry is that a lot of meds can go longer than their expiry dates.

Unless the meds are life saving like for blood pressure or seizures I would not take them past the dates.  But I think that meds can last for many more months if kept in a good location.

If you want extra confidence buy one of the food vacuum sealers .

I think the main factor in lost drug potency is exposure to air, temperature and moisture.

Please fellow DBG'er correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[two]

Hopefully this is the right forum to post this topic.

Don't know about anyone else, but am I massively OCD about my meds. For me, they have to be in blisters, kept in a drawer, organised and away from sunlight. While they're still around anyway.

I wondered if anyone had any tips on tablet/med storage. I was wondering if there were any storage methods that would mean the meds would expire before their expiry date.

For now, they're just in a drawer, but I always worry about heat, humidity etc. But if they're blistered, surely humidity wouldn't be an issue.

Any ideas or tips would be awesome. And I'd like to know that I'm not the only one OCD about med storage.

Off topic, but @smoka90 your profile avatar image is awesome! Rats of NIMH very cool.

 

[Smoka90]

Thanks everyone. I think I might be being a bit too OCD on it, as I've got them stored in cool, dark, dry conditions. Forgot to mention = loose packaging and silica gel packets is a good combination! Even if it does get humid which isn't very often, shouldn't be a problem with silica gel or if they're blistered.

I'm always afraid my vacuum packer will crush the tablets, so I haven't used that yet... /default_tongue.png

It's been a while since I've seen rats of NIMH, but this rat is more from the sewer. Peste Noire, Black Death sort of sewer.

Luckily I don't live in one; don't think my meds would last well in sewage...

 

[doesit]

Funny thing about expiration is that even water bottles have an expiration date on them -go figure ?

either way if its blister keep them in original box if possible and find another box to keep them in there,best place is to keep them in the drawer or your own room,somewhere where temps are stable and dark-most meds can be still effective couple years after expiration in most cases-just my opinion here.

Also when i used to have more blisters i would stick them into dvd boxes,fits nicely ,perfect environment and conditions.

loose pills are harder to keep fresh as they are exposed so unless you have way to vacuum pack them,use bottles from vitamins,meds and keep em same as blisters,but if you have both blisters and loose of same meds,try to use loose ones first as blisters will stay fresh way longer.

 

[Guest]

I also agree that meds can keep for a couple of years after expiry date. Plus, everything you guys said. Especially dark and non humid. There are little silica gel packs that you can buy on ebay or they also come with vitamins from the store. For loose meds, throw one of those in the bottle. They keep humidity out. Also keep in mind not to let your dogs eat the silica packet. Very poisonous.

Vet in training.......lol!

 

[Smoka90]

^ Good to know someone else appreciates silica gel. /default_tongue.png It's in with all my loose stuff.

And I think you're right with the expiry dates...I'm on out of date stuff now, ironically. Still works...I'm just a faffy nitpicker.

 

[wyldepixie]

My meds never have time to expire! I have a drawer I call my pharmacy.

 

[headbanger]

I wish there was a rule of thumb or even possibly a list of how much longer the meds last. Taking them works but it may also make a person sick. And relying on a med to still be effective for a serious medical problem is out of the question.

Some of the stuff T** sells has expiry dates of like 2016 and even 2017. I think I swy a blister once that had 2018 on it!

 

[MathewM]

I've gt a few questions..

Im wondering about the storage of my meds, I keep mine in a drawer, some of which are in a metal lock box in my drawer.

Im thinking I should buy a few air tight containers from my local super market, one which would be used to keep a sandwich or foods fresh/air tight, I assume this is a better option than a metal lock box? (In terms of freshness) There are no children in the house so I don't even lock the box.

Also are loose pills better kept in a vitamin bottle? I mean I have loose V@lium I have put into small G bags or Zip lock bags containing 20 per bag so I can easily tell when i running how and need to order more, should these be moved into a vitamin bottle/empty bottle/used medicine bottle? Or should U buy some brand new empty bottles from ebay? Also buying silica packet's off ebay to put inside wont hurt it sounds?

What about Capsules (Tramad0l), those are in a pill bottle, should I also add a silica pack with Capsules??

Lastly these are all kept in my drawer but I have a spare drawer in my wardrobe & the wardrobe door is always kept closed, im better off moving my meds into the drawer inside the dark wardrobe which is always closed yes?

 

[Woolius]

I keep my spare meds in old medicine bottles, then place them in drawer to keep light out. I have meds that are 10-15 yrs old and they still work well. Air tight, dark, dry, cool to warm climate works well.

 

[Smoka90]

I keep my spare meds in old medicine bottles, then place them in drawer to keep light out. I have meds that are 10-15 yrs old and they still work well. Air tight, dark, dry, cool to warm climate works well.

This. Perfect advice. I use old vitamin or med bottles, keep them in a drawer, and I do use one silica gel packet too.

With old vitamin bottles, I do wash them out first, but that's probably not necessary.

 

[greggy]

hello

 I work with chems  everyday and best storage for us is lock type old med bottles, this is what our pharms use. new bottles of course.

 

[PTFC]

Yeah, I just got a load of 100ml glass bottles recently with lock screw top lids. Great for loose products etc. Just kept in drawer also.

 

[bunnies]

keep mine in old plastic bottles that held previous medication, in a bag on the floor of my closet. close to the ground = cooler. also no exposure to light (sunlight or internal lighting.)