WHERE NOT TO STORE MEDS

Does your medication storage need to be checked out? If your meds are stored in a kitchen cabinet near the stove or oven or in a bathroom cabinet, your method may need to change. According to Myriam Shaw Ojeda, an assistant professor of pharmacy practice and science at Ohio State University's College of Pharmacy, storing medication near a heat source may reduce its effectiveness. If you store your meds in a kitchen cabinet, and many do for the sake of convenience, be sure to use a cabinet away from the heat source.

Another common source for storing meds is the bathroom.  According to Mary Bridgeman, a clinical professor at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University, the term medicine cabinet is a total misnomer.

Eric MacLaughlin, the chair of the pharmacy practice department at Texas Tech University Health Science Center, has said the steam from your bathroom can erode the coatings on medications, and heat can break down the active ingredients. He continued by saying the kitchen can be a good place as long as you're storing the meds in a cool dry place that's away from temperature fluctuations. He also warned to keep medications away from children and pets.

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