How to Store Medicines Safely at Home

The way you store medicines affects how well they work and how safe your home is. A few simple habits can protect both.

Skip the bathroom cabinet

The bathroom is one of the worst places to keep medicines. Steam from showers and baths creates heat and humidity that can break down tablets and capsules faster.

Most medicines should be kept:

• At room temperature, usually between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius, unless the label says otherwise
• In a dry place away from sinks, showers and the kitchen stove
• Out of direct sunlight and away from windowsills
• In their original containers with the label attached

A high shelf in a bedroom closet or a dedicated cupboard away from the kitchen is often a good choice.

Medicines that need the fridge

Some products must be refrigerated between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius. These include unopened insulin, some eye drops, certain antibiotic liquids and several injectable medicines.

• Store them in the main body of the fridge, not the door, where temperatures change more
• Keep them away from the back wall and freezer section, as freezing can damage them
• Check the label for how long a product can stay at room temperature once opened, which is common with insulin pens
• Use a small fridge thermometer if you store medicines long term

During a power outage, keep the fridge closed as much as possible. If an outage is long, call your pharmacist to ask whether your medicines are still safe to use.

Watch out for winter and summer extremes

Canadian weather can be hard on medicines. Do not leave them in a car during a hot summer day or a freezing winter night. When travelling, carry medicines in your hand luggage or a bag that stays with you. For insulin and other fridge items, use an insulated travel case with a cool pack, but do not let them touch ice directly.

If a delivered package has been left outside in extreme cold or heat, contact your pharmacy before using temperature-sensitive products.

Keep medicines away from children and pets

Many accidental poisonings in young children involve medicines found at home, including common pain relievers, iron supplements and adult prescription medicines.

• Store medicines up high and out of sight, ideally in a locked cabinet or box
• Close child-resistant caps fully after every use, and remember these caps slow children down but are not childproof
• Do not leave medicines in purses, coat pockets or on bedside tables
• Never call medicine candy
• Keep pet medicines separate from human medicines

Save your provincial poison centre number in your phone. If you think a child or adult has taken too much of a medicine, call the poison centre right away, or call 911 if the person is unresponsive, having trouble breathing or having a seizure.

Store opioids and other high-risk medicines securely

Opioid pain relievers, sleeping pills and some anxiety and ADHD medicines can be misused or cause serious harm to others in the home. Keep them locked away and keep track of how many you have. If you use opioids, ask your pharmacist about a free naloxone kit, which is available at many pharmacies across Canada.

Check expiry dates regularly

Go through your medicine cabinet once or twice a year. A good reminder is when the clocks change.

• Discard anything past its expiry date
• Discard tablets that are crumbling, discoloured or smell unusual
• Discard liquids that have changed colour or become cloudy
• Note that eye drops, liquid antibiotics and some creams have a shorter shelf life once opened, so check the label

Dispose of unused medicines safely

Do not flush medicines down the toilet or throw them in household garbage. They can end up in waterways or be found by children, pets or others.

Instead, return them to a pharmacy. In Ontario and several other provinces, the Health Products Stewardship Association runs a free medication take-back program through participating community pharmacies. Many pharmacies also accept used needles and lancets in an approved sharps container.

• Keep medicines in their original container if possible
• Black out or remove your name and personal details from the label
• Bring sharps in a puncture-resistant container, never loose

You can ask us how to return unused medicines or sharps, and we can tell you about take-back locations near you.

Keep an up-to-date list

Keep a current list of all your medicines, including vitamins, natural health products and over-the-counter products. Bring it to every appointment and share it with your pharmacist. It helps prevent duplicate medicines and interactions, and it is invaluable in an emergency.