Medication Storage and Returns: Best Practices and Tips

Jun 27, 2023 NHS Medications

 

Do you take prescription medications regularly, occasionally or have more generic medicines around the house, such as pain relief? If so, it’s important to know how to properly store, look after and return medications and other associated items. There are many reasons to prioritise this but the main one is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of yourself and others. 

This blog post looks at many aspects of looking after your medications so that they can effectively look after you. If you have questions about a specific medication, see the instructions included or speak to your pharmacist.

 

Storing Medicines Effectively and Safely

Most medications should be stored somewhere cool, dry and away from direct sunlight. It is also important to ensure that children and/or pets can’t get hold of them. Some people opt for a high cupboard or a lockable cabinet. Some bottled medications also have child-resistant caps. Where possible keep your medications in their original boxes and with the accompanying patient information leaflet. 

Some medications need to be kept in the fridge. Your pharmacist will ensure you are told about this if that is the case. Always follow the instructions for the storage of fridge items. It can also be worth checking the temperature setting of your fridge and using a fridge thermometer. Check it from time to time to make sure your fridge is cooling effectively and consistently as some medications will not be effective if they get too cold or are not cold enough.

If travelling with medication, ensure you have something that is suitable for fridge items like a cool bag or box. 

 

When You Use a Pill Organiser

Official advice is to keep your medications in the box that they come in. Despite this, many people use a pill organiser. This is a handy box where you can put up your medications for a week or more saves time and makes taking medications easy. You can also see at a glance whether or not you’ve remembered a dose. Most medications can be removed from their packaging and stored alongside others in this way, but not all. Please check your medication instructions or ask an expert. 

A good tip when decanting your medications this way is to make sure you keep a note of what they are and the dosages as well as a copy of the instruction leaflets. These can be handy to have to hand when needed.

 

Expiry Dates - Don’t Ignore These

Medications and treatments have “use by” dates, just like foods do. Most tablets and similar treatments don’t go “off” or bad. Old medications can become less effective over time, especially if they have been opened or stored incorrectly. Take note of expiry dates and make sure you use up medications in order.

Our pharmacist is sometimes asked if it is ok to use old medications that were prescribed a long time ago, such as antibiotics that weren’t finished. The answer is no. It is important that if you have a new medication issue or an old one has returned that you visit your healthcare provider for new advice. The medication you were prescribed in the past may not be safe or suitable now. Old medications should be disposed of correctly.

 

Disposing of Medicines Properly

Do you know the best way to dispose of medications? Any unopened, unused and out-of-date medicines should be returned to your pharmacy for safe disposal. Please don’t just put them in the bin. No medications should be flushed down the toilet either.

All medications and devices come with instructions for safe disposal. For example, inhalers should not be put in the waste bin. They contain gases which are harmful to the environment. You can dispose of these at your local pharmacy.

Recycle medication packaging where you can. Did you know that many pill boxes and paper leaflets can be recycled alongside your household recycling? Look up your local area to see if anyone locally offers recycling drop-off for the foil blister packs that most medications come in. These can’t be recycled in your household bin.

IMPORTANT: Any controlled drugs need to be taken to your local pharmacy for safe disposal, as well as unopened/leftover medications.

 

What to Do With Sharps?

If you take medications via injections regularly or even for a short time you will need a sharps box. Ask your GP for one as they are available on prescription if you are prescribed certain medications. You can buy additional sharps bins if needed. 

Check to see where you can dispose of sharps bins locally. Some pharmacy branches can accept them while others can’t so you need to check in advance. If your local pharmacy won’t take them, contact your local council who will be about to give you more information on how best to return these items. Your council website might list this information for you and save you a phone call. Failing this, your GP may have the contact details for your local sharps collection service on their website. 

If you are unsure of how to safely store or dispose of your medications feel free to contact us and one of our team will be more than happy to assist.

 

The Storage and Return of Medication - In Conclusion

It is important to know how to store and dispose of your medications effectively for a number of reasons. The two main ones are to ensure your medications are safe and effective to take and to keep yourself and others safe.

Did you know that you can have your NHS prescriptions sent directly to your home? All items are shipped discreetly and we can send fridge items too. Find out more about our NHS Prescription Delivery and save this blog post to remind you about the best way to store and dispose of your medications.

You can find more answers to medication-related frequently asked questions here.