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Medications and your Health

How to store medicines

  • Most medications should be stored in a dry place away from heat and humidity.
  • Some medications also have special instructions for storage. Check for special instructions on your prescription label.
  • If your medication needs to be protected from light, it should be stored in a container that filters out light, such as a clean film canister.
  • If your medication needs to be refrigerated, and you do not have a fridge available (for example, if you are working outside or on the road all day), try using a cooler with an ice pack. An ordinary cooler found at hardware or sporting goods stores will do.
  • Keep track of the expiry dates of the medications. The ideal way to do this is to keep the medications in their original prescription vial. But, you can also put this information on a sticker on the container that you are using for the medication.
  • Don't store multiple medications in the same vial, as this makes it hard to keep track of which medications are which, which doses have been taken, and what the expiry dates are.

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Medications and your Health

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The contents of this site are for informational purposes only and are meant to be discussed with your physician or other qualified health care professional before being acted on. Never disregard any advice given to you by your doctor or other qualified health care professional. Always seek the advice of a physician or other licensed health care professional regarding any questions you have about your medical condition(s) and treatment(s). This site is not a substitute for medical advice.

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