SAFE STORAGE OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS
Storing your medicines properly can help to ensure they work as they should as well as prevent poisoning accidents.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR MEDICINE
- Know that heat, air, light, and moisture may damage your medicine.
- Store your medicines in a cool, dry place. For example, store it away from the stove, sink, and any hot appliances. You can also store medicine in a storage box, on a shelf, or in a closet.
- If you are like most people, you probably store your medicine in a bathroom cabinet. But the heat and moisture from your shower, bath, and sink may damage your medicine. Your medicines can become less potent, or they may go bad before the expiration date.
- Pills and capsules are easily damaged by heat and moisture. Aspirin pills break down into vinegar and salicylic acid. This irritates the stomach.
- Always keep medicine in its original container.
- Take the cotton ball out of the medicine bottle. The cotton ball pulls moisture into the bottle. Ask your pharmacist about any specific storage instructions.
KEEP CHILDREN SAFE
Choose a Safe Spot
Walk around your house to find the safest place to keep your medicines. The location should be up and away and out of the sight and reach of young children.
Lock the Safety Cap
Always relock the cap on a medicine bottle. If the bottle has a locking cap that turns, twist it until you hear the click or cannot twist anymore.
Put Medicines Away
Always put medicines back in their safe storage location. Curious children act fast, so never leave medicine out on a kitchen counter or at a sick child’s bedside.
Remind Guests
Ask family members, houseguests, and other visitors to keep purses, bags, or coats that have medicine in them up and away and out of sight when they are in your home
While Traveling
While staying with family or friends or at a hotel, find a safe storage place that is out of sight and reach of young children, like a high cabinet. If you’re in a hotel room, try the room safe for safe storage..
Be Prepared
Call your poison control center right away if you think your child might have gotten into a medicine. Program the Poison Help number into your home and cell phones so you will have it when you need it. 800.222.1222
ABOUT THE UP & AWAY CAMPAIGN
Families take medicines and vitamins to feel well or stay well. Any medicine or vitamin can be dangerous if taken in the wrong way or by the wrong person, even medicine you buy without a prescription (known as over-the-counter medicines). Up and Away and Out of Sight is an educational program to remind families about the importance of safe medicine storage. It is an initiative of PROTECT, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Consumer Healthcare Products Association Educational Foundation and the below organizations.
