FIVE TIPS FOR HAVING A SAFE MEDICINE CABINET

Whenever you take medicine, do you check the container’s expiration date? If you don’t, you could be putting your health at risk. While aspirin will usually keep for a year or more, other drugs can become dangerous as they age or deteriorate. For example, when liquid evaporates from codeine cough syrup, it becomes more potent and can cause dizziness. In some people, an aged tetracycline can cause kidney damage. You can avoid such potential problems by exercising the following precautions:

1) Buy only the amount of medication that you expect to use soon, and always cap the bottle securely after using.

2) Keep all drugs in a cool, dry place. Heat and humidity can hasten deterioration.

3) Always check the expiration dates and inspect medication before using.

4) Throw away any drugs that have changed color; prescription drugs you are no longer taking; any tablets or capsules that are discolored, disintegrating, softened, stuck together, or that smell different from the original; any tablets or capsules that are past their expiration dates; and any tubes or creams that have changed their odors or have become hard or discolored.

5) Consult with your doctor or a pharmacist before you use any drugs prescribed for a previous illness— even if they have not passed their expiration dates.

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