Storing your medicines at home is very important. Some of those medications can be your usual, over-the-counter meds for some of the common illnesses anyone can easily experience. Then, there could also be prescription medicines when a member of your household is sick and has to take maintenance medication. The bigger your household size is, the more medicines you’ll have to store. This fact necessitates a greater need to store and organize those medicines accurately.

Being proactive about medicine storage, organization, and cleaning medicine cabinet is vital for two main reasons. The first is to ensure your medicines work as well as they should. They aren’t expired, nor are they tampered with. And, you also remember to take them on time. Second, you can prevent poisoning incidents, especially when there are naturally-curious kids at home.

 

Tips and tricks track and organize medicines at home

 

1. Use A Pillbox

 

A pillbox is one of the most inexpensive yet most effective ways to organize pills. You can find them at any pharmacy, department store, and even supermarket. Pillboxes come in all forms of sizes, so you can adequately choose according to what you need. Then, each has its respective options for proper labeling as well.

For instance, some of you might prefer to have the days of the week as your label, particularly when taking maintenance medications. Just be sure to refill that box at the end of every week to avoid confusion.

For those who aren’t taking maintenance meds, you can do well with pillboxes you can label according to the medicine name. Just ensure to include a small note of the respective expiration dates also.

 

2. Learn The Basics Of Medicine Storage

 

Whether in pill or syrup form, there are basics of medicine storage you have to learn. Getting to know the basic standards can help you avoid having expired medicines or tampered ones simply because you did not store them in the right conditions.

For starters, here are some of those basic storage requirements:

• Be aware of air, light, moisture, and heat that can damage your vitamins and medicines;
• If you’re unsure, always ask your pharmacist about the proper storage requirements;
• Always store your medicines in a cool, dry place (drawers, shelf, cabinets away from any hot appliance);
• Keep liquid medicines in their original container all the time.

 

 

3. Store Medicines In A Higher-Level Cabinet

 

Whether you have kids at home or not, a good rule of thumb to follow is to store your medicines in a higher-level cabinet. Keep them out of easy reach and access by any member of your family. All the more is this a must when you have kids and dogs at home.

There’s no need to have easy access to your medicine cabinet, especially when your family is in good health. Medicines can be some of the least-reached items in a household. So, the higher you can keep them, the better.

 

4. Make A Checklist

 

Whichever way you wish to store your medicines, always have a checklist of what you have. You can save a copy of that checklist on your devices or have it printed out and stuck behind your medicine cabinet door.

This checklist is vital so you can keep track of what you have. Should someone in the family fall ill, you can scan your medicine cabinet first before going to the pharmacy. It is also an effective means to avoid taking medicines that have unfortunately expired.

Another checklist you should have is a separate one for maintenance medications you take daily. Never rely simply on your memory. When the days get long and busy, it’s normal to possibly forget or lose track of what you have to take. Having that checklist ready ensures all the necessary meds are taken at the right time and dosage.

 

5. Declutter From Time To Time

 

At least twice a year, make it a point to go through your medicine and first aid cabinet to declutter. When you do so, update your inventory as well. It is a necessary step to avoid keeping any expired medicines.

When you see expired medicines, toss them and replace them with new ones. If you haven’t taken a specific medication in over a year, that should be a good signal that you no longer have to keep a lot of stock at home to avoid over-stocking.

 

Free Medication Tracker Printable

 

This beautiful, minimalistic free medication tracker can be helpful for people who need or want to track their medicine intake on paper:

It’s easy to use and is perfect for caregivers too. Take a sneak peek!

 

 

We are sharing this printable medication tracker with our reader for FREE! 

To grab your free printable, choose the size that fits your needs, print and enjoy:

Free Printable Medication Tracker – COLOR GREY –  SIZE A4

Free Printable Medication Tracker – COLOR PINK – SIZE A4

Medication Log Printable – COLOR GREY – SIZE LETTER

Medication Log Printable – COLOR PINK – SIZE LETTER

*Personal use only.

 

Conclusion

 

Safe storage of vitamins and medicines at home is vital to prevent the onset of poisoning and other accidents. On top of proper storage, you need to label them all correctly, each with its respective expiration dates. These are all essential considerations of keeping a healthy household. If you’re making any changes and alterations to your home for this year, make sure to include a well-organized medicine cabinet as a part of your list. Don’t forget to apply the easy tips above.

This article was proofread by Grammarly