At the right temperature

Most medicines are designed to be kept at ‘room temperature’, that is, between 20°C and 25ºC. Higher temperatures may cause them to deteriorate and therefore not work properly.

Most medicines should be kept in a cool, dry place where the temperature is below 25°C or 30°C. Avoid warm or moist places, such as above the stove, in direct sunlight, or in the bathroom. Also, avoid the fridge, unless the instructions state otherwise, because fridges are usually too cold and moist. If you live in the tropics, store them in the coolest part of the house.

Avoid warm or moist places, such as above the stove,

in direct sunlight, or in the bathroom.

Some medicines, including many liquid medicines, eye drops and injections, should be kept in the fridge. In this case, the fridge means the main compartment of the fridge, not the freezer. The medicine’s label will tell you if the medicine should be stored in the fridge. If you accidentally freeze the medicine, check with a pharmacist before using it to make sure it is still usable.

If you are unsure how to keep a medicine at the right temperature, check the label, ask your pharmacist, or read the medicine’s Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) leaflet.

Before the expiry date

Most medicines deteriorate over time, so never use a medicine beyond its expiry date. Before taking a medicine that has been in the cupboard or drawer for some time, look for the expiry date. If it has expired, don’t use it. Instead, return it to a pharmacy.

The expiry date is generally found on the back panel of bottle labels and on the end flaps of boxes. The expiry date is indicated by a prefix such as ‘Expiry’, ‘Exp date’ or ‘Use before’, and the date in months and years after which it should not be used.

Children: Keep out of their reach

Store medicines out of the reach and sight of children in a cupboard or better still a child-resistant medicine cabinet. The cupboard or cabinet should be at least 1.5 metres (4’6”) above floor level. Child-resistant lockable medicine cabinets can be bought from hardware stores.

Medicines stored in the fridge door may be seen by children. Keep any medicines that need refrigerating out of sight in a plastic container with a tightly fitting lid. Place the container at the back of the fridge, but not next to the cooling element, as it could freeze them.

Child-resistant lids on medicines are effective only when replaced properly. Remember child-resistant doesn’t mean child-proof, so you still need to keep the containers out of reach and out of sight. If you have difficulty opening child-resistant lids, contact the Independent Living Centre in your state. They sell a range of products that make the task easier.

Dispose of safely

Keeping unused or expired medicines in the house is potentially harmful. Take any unused or expired medicines to your local pharmacy, so they can be disposed of safely. Don’t pollute the environment by dumping them down the toilet or sink, or putting them out with the garbage.

Take unused or expired medicines to your

pharmacy to be disposed of safely.

Returned medicines are taken to special depots where they are destroyed safely.