When it comes to storage requirements, not all medications are created equal.
Some drugs need to be kept within a narrow temperature window, such as a specific room temperature range; some need to be refrigerated; and a few must remain frozen until used. There are drugs such as Xalatan®,and Combipatch®,that must refrigerated until they are in use. At that point, they are kept at room temperature.
When you receive a new prescription, that prescription usually is accompanied by a Patient Information Sheet. Contained on this sheet is information about the drug: its uses, side effects, precautions, possible interactions, storage requirements, etc. If you have questions about the storage of your medication, you can consult this sheet. Also, your pharmacist is always a good face-to-face source of information.
Temperature extremes, light, air, and humidity can all affect the stability of a drug. (Some examples of temperature extremes are freezing drugs that are intended for room temperature storage, or leaving drugs intended for room temperature storage in a hot place such as a mail truck on a summer day.)
Probably one of the worst places to keep your medication is in the bathroom, because hot running water in a confined space creates a damp, steamy environment that isn’t good for most drugs. A better place for storing medications would be a kitchen cabinet on an interior wall. Outside wall cabinets in older homes can get fairly cold in the winter. Also avoid a cabinet above a heat source, such as a stove. With only a few exceptions, the freezer is another bad storage idea. You can keep your hot dogs in the freezer, but not your blood pressure medication. Remember to keep medications out of the reach of little people and pets.
When medications become outdated, or you are no longer taking them, be sure to dispose of them properly. Some counties have a special hazardous-waste disposal. When that is not available, the next best thing is to place any unwanted tablets or capsules into a zip lock bag with either used kitty litter or used coffee grounds and a couple of tablespoons of water. Close the bag and mush the contents around for a day or two. The tablets and capsules will quickly dissolve and the entire sealed bag can be placed in the trash. Do not flush medication down the toilet. Liquid medications can be poured into a bag or container with an absorbent material. Patches should be cut up before disposing.
A topic that has given us a headache revolves around drug availability. We receive weekly e-mails of what is referred to as the “market disruption report”. This report specifies problems that make it difficult for some drugs to meet market demands. It also includes huge pricing swings. One recent report chronicled price increases of 20 to 80 percent on several drugs. Adding to the confusion are the deals that insurance companies and/or pharmacy benefits managers cut with one manufacturer over another to get money rebated directly to themselves. These funds should go toward lowering your costs; instead, they find their way into the management’s silver-lined pockets. For all these reasons, we often have to switch the drug we give you, because the drug you were receiving is not currently available or not covered by your insurance. We always try to tell you when a refill will look different from the drug you have been receiving but is the same drug. Additionally we will inform you if your insurance mandated a drug change for coverage reasons and we contacted your doctor about a change. If you ever receive something that looks different and you weren’t told it is a change – contact your pharmacist.
