Medication Storage
Most medications can be stored at room temperature
Store medication in a cool dry place away from heat and sunlight. This is important to protect your medication from damage. For example, cupboards in cool and dry areas are ideal places to store medication. Avoid keeping your medication in the toilet, as the high moisture levels there may damage your medication.
Keep medication safely out of the reach of children
Children may think that medications are sweets, and this can be dangerous for them!
Refrigerate medication only if stated on the label
You can find these storage instructions on the medication label. Insulin is an example of a medication that should be kept in the fridge.
Medications that need to be refrigerated should be kept at between 2 - 8 Degree Celsius. This is where you keep your fruits, vegetables, and milk in your fridge, not the freezer compartment. Store these medication in the fridge immediately when you reach home.
Medication Expiry
Always check the expiry date and appearance of your medication before taking it. You can find the expiry date on the medication strip, or on the medication packaging.
Check the expiry date and appearance of your medication before taking it
DO NOT take the medication if
Medication Disposal
Most medications can be thrown away normally
Remove your personal information (name and NRIC) on the medication labels before throwing them. One way you can do so is to use a marker to black-out these details on the medication labels. This is important to protect your identity.
Some medications need to be thrown away specially by the pharmacy
Examples include antibiotics, anti-cancer medication, and controlled drugs. These may harm the environment or others if they are not thrown away properly. Bring these medications back to the pharmacy you collected from.
Contributed By
- Ministry of Health
- Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore