A basic set of medications can make life easier and sometimes even save a life. What should a pharmacist remind a pharmacy visitor who is stocking medicines for the home?
We are accustomed to call a home first-aid kit a place where we store various medical products. It can be a shelf in a hanging closet, a kitchen container or a drawer “prescribed” in the bathroom. Any professional pharmacist would be horrified by the way medicines are stored at home so it is best to least take First Aid Certification to execute the right action because human health is on the line. The pharmacist, of course, does not conduct audits at home, so it is better to draw the attention of the buyer and give practical recommendations on the storage of drugs during their vacation at the first table.
When light is the main enemy
Improper storage of medicines worsens not only their pharmacotherapeutic efficacy, but also the state of health and can even be a threat to life. For example, when armaforce is exposed to light, as well as the preparations in which it is included, a complete loss of its effectiveness may occur. In antibiotics of the penicillin and cephalosporin groups, dangerous toxic substances are formed – sulfones and sulfoxides.
As a result of exposure to light, some painkillers (for example, metamizole) lose their pharmaceutical activity, bioavailability, and the formation of dangerous hallucinogenic compounds can also occur. It is also necessary to protect many antiviral drugs, homeopathic remedies, amines, paracetamol derivatives, prozerin, thiamine, riboflavin and many other drugs from direct sunlight and bright artificial light, so we study the instructions and do not ignore the recommendations prescribed there.
The cold regime
What is the fundamental difference between the two well-known formulations: “cool place” and “cold place”? With such, at first glance, simple terminology, the pharmacist is obliged to help the pharmacy visitor understand.
If the instructions or on the package contain the marking “keep in a cold place” – the temperature should be in the range from +2 to +8 °C. The required conditions can be provided in the refrigerator compartment of a conventional household refrigerator.
There is a wording “store in a cool place” – the temperature should correspond to indicators from +8 to +15 ° C. You can place such drugs on the refrigerator door.
“Store in the freezer” – keep the temperature from -5 to -18 °.
“Store at room temperature” – the range should not be lower than +15 °C or higher than +25 °C. It is recommended to store pharmaceuticals in the refrigerator in a special container, after placing the drugs in hermetically sealed plastic bags.
Operation “Inventory”
A home first aid kit should be both universal, that is, it must include first aid products, and personalized – it should contain drugs that family members take constantly or from time to time.
Pharmaceutical products, as well as medical products, should not be stored in the bathroom, in the kitchen, near any source of heat, moisture. Exposure to bright artificial light and direct sunlight should also be avoided.
Preparations and first aid supplies are best stored in lockable boxes or cabinets (it is important to remember that the first aid kit should not be accessible to children), away from any physical factors (moisture, heat, light). The best containers for placing drugs are plastic containers with tight lids.
When organizing this space, it should be taken into account that medicines for internal use are not recommended to be stored with products for external use.
Twice a year it is recommended to revise the contents of the first-aid kit, and it is necessary to evaluate three important criteria:
- whether the storage location meets the requirements specified in the instructions for drugs (sometimes in winter the temperature is within the normal range, and in summer it is necessary to choose a more suitable storage for drugs);
- expiration date – expired drugs must be discarded;
- whether the external signs correspond to the description in the instructions.
Pay attention to the change in color, shape, consistency, the presence of sediment. Having identified any inconsistencies, we send it to the scrap.
By the way, you need to follow certain rules when throwing away pharmaceuticals. In no case do we lower them into the sewer (the only exception is completely water-soluble, in the instructions they are called “dispersible” products). We close the liquids in vials and ointments, place them in a separate opaque plastic bag, and only after that we send them to the trash. Remove tablets and capsules from blisters and packages, pour into a bag or jar with a tight lid, place in an opaque bag, then throw it into a waste container.
Storage Tips for a Small Apartment
A large library cannot be placed on the territory of a one-room apartment. Therefore, some of the books will have to be packed in cellophane and boxes, carry to the loggia or to the attic. When stored in the attic, boxes are not placed on the floor so that rats and insects are not interested in literature. It is better to put them on top of other boxes in a dry place.
Hanging shelves
Shelves made of wood and metal are located above the desk, next to the sofa, bed. A variety of shapes and sizes allows you to harmoniously fit them into the interior. This is a convenient way to place a small number of books in a small space and emphasize the style of the interior. Small shelves are also fixed on window slopes.
Niche
In the standard layout of apartments, niches are rare. A recess as a place to store books is provided during the selection of the design of the dwelling, and then built from drywall. A niche will not save space, but it will look more original than a rack or shelves.
Bed
Special models with built-in shelves at the bottom are convenient for those who like to read before going to bed. An organizer bed will replace a bulky bookcase.
Windowsill
Books can be compactly arranged on shelves under the windowsill, but only if there is no central heating battery nearby. A window in the shaded part of the apartment is suitable for placing literature. The method is suitable for storing books in the children’s room.
Armchair
An original solution that will save space in a one-room apartment is a square-shaped library chair. It consists of shelves built into the back of the back, below and around the seat.
