Most of us have a specific place in our home where we keep medicines, but many people don't pay sufficient attention to ensuring they're stored correctly. Keeping medicine at the wrong temperature, for example, can make it less effective. Here are a few tips to help you store medicine safely and correctly.

Read the packaging and information sheets

The original packaging and enclosed information sheets are important. As well as providing essential instructions for use, they also tell you how the medication should be stored. Keeping medicine in its original packaging also protects it from light, contamination and damage. 

The right temperature

Medicines must be stored at the right temperature if they are to remain effective. Temperatures that are too high can accelerate chemical decomposition processes. The following temperature ranges are recommended for most medicines:

• Room temperature: 15 – 25°C
• In the fridge: 2 – 8°C
• Deep-frozen: -18°C or colder

Important: Do not chill or freeze medicines unless explicitly instructed to do so. Some medicines, including certain solutions, creams and suspensions, lose their efficacy or become completely unusable if they get too cold.

Store in a dry place, away from light

The bathroom is not an ideal place to store medicines because of the fluctuations in humidity and temperature. Ideally, medicines should be stored in a closed, odour-free cabinet which is protected against humidity and light and has a constant internal temperature. If you store medicines in the fridge, it's best to use the vegetable drawer, which offers a relatively constant temperature. Be sure to keep all medicines out of the reach of children.
 

Shelf life after opening

Many medicines such as eye drops and antibiotics can only be used for a limited time after opening and sometimes this can be significantly short of the expiry date printed on the pack. We recommend writing the opening date on the packet.
 

Regular checks

It's important to check your medicine cabinet and first-aid kit regularly and dispose of medicines that are out of date. If you no longer have the original packaging and want to know whether a medicine is out of date, you can look out for the following signs: 

• Tablets can become cracked and discoloured
• Liquids can become opaque or turbid
• The smell of a medication can change
• Ointments and creams can become discoloured and liquefied

Correct disposal

If you have out-of-date medicines at home, it's important to dispose of them correctly. Often they can be returned to the pharmacy. If this is not possible, you should observe the disposal rules that apply where you live. Under no circumstances should medicines be disposed of in ordinary household waste or flushed down the toilet.