Medicines should always be kept away from children in a cool, dry place, protected from light.
Proper storage helps to ensure the safe and effective use of medicines.
Store medicines properly
Medicines should always be kept away from children in a cool, dry place, protected from light and refrigerated when necessary. Improper storage can affect the effectiveness and shelf life of your medicine. The following are important medicine storage principles.
Keep it cool, dark and dry
Medicines should be kept in a cool, dry place and protected from light.
Read the label
"It is good practice to read the label or leaflet that comes with your medicine as it may require special storage conditions," say pharmacists from the Department of Pharmacy at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), a member of the SingHealth group.
Liquids in the fridge please
Liquid formulations, such as syrups and suspensions, can support the growth of micro-organisms.
Preservatives stay out of the fridge
Conversely, the effectiveness of preservatives increases with temperature. Therefore, preserved preparations should not be refrigerated, unless specified by the manufacturer. An example is Cetirizine oral solution that contains parabens as preservatives.
Keep away from children
Medicines should always be kept away from children.
* Medicine that has changed colour, consistency or odour should never be used regardless of expiry.References: Lowe R.A. Storage, stability and in-use shelf-life guidelines for non-sterile medicines (2001) ConsumerMedSafety.org
Ref: V10
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