I want you to walk to your fridge. Go on, open it and browse through the items at the door. I bet that most of you would have a couple of strips of medications lying in there, or perhaps a few bottles of cough syrups. It's natural for us to think that things last longer when kept in a fridge, but assumptions like this can impact our lives quite significantly, at least more than you think. As a pharmacist myself, rest assured that what I'm about to share with you happens in my own house too, as you know in a household, the parents are usually the ones with the know-how. I may have my Bachelor's degree certificate, but my parents have my birth certificate, so there you go.
1. Does keeping medications in the fridge make them last longer?
Simple answer is no. The correct answer is, it depends. Some medications such as antibiotic syrups and certain eye drops are required to be stored in cold chain temperature (2-8 degrees Celsius), which is your fridge. However, most medications especially tablets should only be stored at room temperature, preferably in a cool, dry place. There are a few reasons for this:
i. Temperatures fluctuate in a fridge, especially when it's opened frequently.
ii. Moisture can be very high in a fridge, and this will cause tablets to flake off and affect their effectiveness.
A simple rule is to check the packaging of the medication, as most would have the storage condition stated on the box. Room temp means room temp, unless you live in a freezer.
2. Can I keep my medications in the kitchen?
No. Being in an Asian household, the majority of us spend our mornings in the kitchen preparing and eating breakfast. This means we tend to store our daily medications close to us for convenience. The temperature in the kitchen can rise rapidly when the stove is on, plus many of us choose to place our pills and capsules close to appliances such as ovens or microwaves. This causes the effectiveness of medications to be reduced. The best place to store your medications is somewhere dry and cool such as a cabinet or drawer in your bedroom or living room.
3. Can I flush my expired medications down the drain?
No! The sewage does not need your medications, so refrain from flushing it down. There are proper ways to dispose of your medications. You can do the following:
i) Remove all labels which might contain personal information
ii) Mix the medications with some tea extracts or coconut. This is to prevent it from being reused by other humans or eaten by animals.
iii) Place this into a sealable bag or an empty container which can be closed shut.
iv) Bring it to a pharmacy or government clinic where it will be handled by professionals.
So there you have it, the next time you see medication in your fridge, read the label carefully and educate those around you.
Source: Know Your Medicine
Bryan Tan is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.
