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medicine chest must havesPatricia Carroll, RN,BC, CEN, RRT, MS
Do
you remember the last time you cleaned out your
medicine chest? If you’re like most people,
you probably don’t. You should give your
medicine chest the once-over at least every 12
months.
Remember the three Rs from school? There are 3 Rs for your medicine chest, too:
Call
your local poison control center at
1-800-222-1222 to find
out the best way to discard expired medicines in
your community. Don’t just toss them in the
trash, where a child or pet could find them.
Keep that poison control center telephone number
in the medicine chest or by the phone for easy
access in an emergency. It's a national number;
your call will automatically go to the closest
center.
Check With Your Health Care Provider
Before
you restock, talk with your health care provider
(your physician or nurse practitioner) to see if
there are any medicines you should avoid based
on health conditions you have or prescription
drugs you’re taking. For example, people
taking anticoagulants (commonly called blood
thinners) need to check before taking anything
containing aspirin. If you’re taking
prescription arthritis medicine, check with your
health care provider before taking anything
over-the-counter for arthritis.
Remember
that over-the-counter medicines are for
short-term use. If you have symptoms lasting
more than a week, check in with your health care
provider to make sure you’re not covering the
symptoms of a potentially serious condition.
People sometimes think stomach symptoms can’t
be anything serious, but continuous use of an
over-the-counter stomach remedy can mask an
ulcer or reflux disease, better treated by your
health care provider.
Special Rules For Prescriptions
In
general, prescription medicines should be taken
for the illness or injury for which they were
prescribed and not kept in the medicine chest
for self-treatment at another time. For example,
even though you may feel better after a couple
of days, it’s essential to take every pill in
an antibiotic prescription until they are all
gone. It’s the only way you’ll know you’ve
completely cleared up the infection. Never save
some for later. Furthermore, antibiotics are
chosen to treat a specific infection. The
antibiotics prescribed for your strep throat may
not be the best choice for a foot infection that
comes on later.
Also,
keep in mind that medicines you can buy in the
pharmacy are serious medicines —
just like those you get with a prescription. You
should follow the instructions on the label
exactly unless your doctor or nurse practitioner
has given you specific instructions based on
your particular health condition. Don’t think
that just because you can buy it off the shelf,
it’s all right to take more if your symptoms
aren’t immediately relieved. If the
over-the-counter medicine isn’t relieving your
symptoms, contact your health care provider.
The Best Place For Medicines
Ironically, in some homes, medicines should not be kept in the medicine chest. It’s not the best choice if the only medicine chest in the house is in the same bathroom with a busy shower. The constant moisture can cause medicines to break down prematurely. A cool, dry place that a child can’t get to is best.
Covering the Basics
Here’s a list of the basic products that should be in all household medicine chests:
You
might want to choose an easy-to-remember day as
your “Medicine Chest 3-R Day” – perhaps
the first day of school, or the day you turn
your clocks forward or back. A few minutes’
preparation once a year means you’ll have a
fully-stocked, up-to-date medicine chest that’s
ready for life’s little emergencies.
Written: March, 2001 Reviewed: May 2003, May 2004
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