Give your medicine cabinet an annual checkup, too

By North County Times wire services | Sunday, January 4, 2009 4:08 PM PST ∞

WASHINGTON D.C. ---- The new year is a great opportunity to give your medicine cabinet a checkup ---- clean out the out-of-date supplies and restock it.

"You should do this once a year, at least," said Dr. Nick Jouriles, president of  the American College of Emergency Physicians, a national medical specialty society representing emergency medicine with more than 27,000 members.

"A year's worth of showers and baths create heat and humidity that can cause some drugs to lose potency.  It's good to get rid of them and replace them if they need to be replaced."

If a pill loses potency, he said, you may not be getting the necessary dosage of medication.  Holding on to several old prescriptions can also increase the risk of taking the wrong pill.

A bathroom medicine cabinet is not always the best place to store over-the-counter or prescription medications. Instead, keep them in a linen closet or a dark area, and especially away from children. 

According to a recent article in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, poison centers reported thousands of very young children accidentally ingesting medications prescribed to adults in their households.

You should also be thinking about what essentials are always good to have in your medicine cabinet. They include:

-- Adhesive bandages of assorted sizes (to cover minor cuts and scrapes)

-- Gauze pads (to dress larger cuts and scrapes)

-- Adhesive tape (to keep gauze in place)

-- Thermometer (do not use mercury-based thermometers)

-- Alcohol wipes and hydrogen peroxide (to disinfect wounds)

-- Up-to-date prescription and over-the-counter drugs

-- Antibiotic ointment (to disinfect and protect wounds from infection)

-- Antacid

-- Antihistamine (for allergic reactions)

-- Hydrocortisone cream (to relieve irritation from rashes)

-- Decongestant (be mindful of dosages for appropriate ages)

-- Acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin (Note: Aspirin should not be taken by children or teens under age 19)

-- Antiseptic wipes (to disinfect wounds or clean hands)

For more about what to keep in a home first-aid kit, visit  www.emergencycareforyou.org/assets/0/74/138/214/314/b6a3876b-49dd-4fcc-bee6-01d3bef1116b.pdf.

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