In a recent news release, NPS Medicinewise is reminding everyone to keep their medicines cool to ensure their optimal functioning.
While summer will be officially over in just a couple of weeks, hot days are still in the horizon, according to weather predictions.
Most medicines have an optimal temperature range, losing their effectiveness when stores above or below their optimal temperature.
For example, Australia’s most prescribed medicine, Crestor (a statin medication), must be stored in an environment under 30 degrees of temperature, but Lipitor, the second most common statin medication, needs to be stored at temperatures below 25 degrees.
Some medicines can be stored in the refrigerator, but not in the freezer. This is the case of Alphamox, a formulation of the antibiotic amoxicillin.
Likewise, other meds are affected by light or by humidity. “Medicines should be stored away from heat, moisture and direct sunlight, but to make this a little more complicated, they shouldn’t be stored in the fridge either unless the label says so,” said pharmacist and NPS MedicineWise spokesperson Rawa Osman on a press release.
“Many liquid medicines and injection vials should be stored in the fridge, but check to make sure their label says so. If the medicines accidentally freeze, check with a pharmacist before using them to make sure they are still usable,” she added.
To avoid any issues with high temperatures or humidity damaging your medications, avoid leaving medications inside a car, in the bathroom, near a sink or a window.
If you need to go out and it is a hot day, take only the medicines you need. If the medication is normally kept in the fridge, consider placing them in a smack esky or insulated lunchbox to keep it in a cool environment. Avoid using a freeze pack, as this might end up freezing the medication.
According to NPS Medicinewise, the key points to keep in mind when keeping your meds in optimal conditions are:
- Always check the label for storage conditions;
- Store medicines away from heat, moisture and sunlight;
- Don’t store medicines in the fridge unless the label says so;
- When the weather is hot, take with you only the medicines you need and keep them as cool and dry as possible.
Finally, if in doubt, always ask your pharmacist for clarification. A damaged medicine is likely to do more harm than good.