Clear out the hazards in your medicine cabinet this flu season

MALALANE – With many people either sick or recovering from a cold, it’s essential that your medicine cabinet is well-stocked and cleared of old medication.

According to Nicole Jennings, spokesperson for Pharma Dynamics, a Twitter poll indicated that about 89 per cent of people had not cleaned out their medicine cabinet in the past two years.

Jennings mentioned that keeping unused medication could lead to misuse among teenagers or accidental medicine overdose.

“Leftover medication is often used to self-medicate, but when the wrong combination of medicines is mixed to treat minor ailments, the consequences could be serious. Equally, in children, where there is easy access to multiple medicines, it could be fatal. About 40 per cent of calls to the Poisons Information Centre at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital concerning children under the age of five are due to the ingestion of medicines,” she explained.

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Many people keep leftover medication, thinking it could come in handy later but it expires and can be harmful instead. Jennings warned that expired medication loses their effectiveness and some could even become toxic.
It is essential to finish a course of antibiotics. Never keep leftover pills, as drinking it months later can lead to your body building up a resistance, which is difficult to treat.

Insulin or other injectable treatments lose their potency, so you should always check the expiry date and regularly replace the medication.

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Here are a few tips on how to safely clear out your medicine cabinet:
• Throw out all of your expired medication and check medication that you have opened but have not used in a while. When you open medicine, write the date on it. If it is still in your cabinet after a year, you need to throw it out.

• If medicine or ointments have changed colour, taste or odour, discard it. It may have been exposed to too much sunlight or heat.

• Scratch out or remove all personal information from packages or bottles before throwing the medicine out.

• Check medical equipment such as thermometers, nebulisers and blood pressure monitors and repair if needed.

• Always store medicine out of reach of children in a cool, dry place. Avoid bathroom cabinets as the shifting temperatures can make them expire sooner.

• Keep an inventory of your medicines by grouping them by use – like for allergies, colds and flu, pain medication and salves.

Jennings explained that medication should not be thrown in the bin, as children or pets could find it there. Ask your nearest pharmacy, hospital or refuse removal company for the best way to dispose of it or if they have a bio-hazard container you can leave it in.

Once you have cleaned out your cabinet, remember to restock it. Essentials include:
• Pain pills
• Antiseptic solutions
• Bandages and plasters
• Anti-diarrhoea products
• Allergy medication
• Cold and flu medication

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