There is no smell, no color, no warning sign – but if you take a pill, syrup or injection from the cabinet or the bag, the medication may have already lost its potency, and may even have become dangerous, due to improper storage carried out unintentionally. Many people do not know this, but keeping a medication in unsuitable conditions is no less serious than a defective production line, and the price can amount to a real danger to life.
According to an article published by the National Library of Medicine in 2023, public health systems around the world report that between 3% and 6% of medications are discarded each year due to improper storage conditions or expiration. Data from the OECD indicate that one in ten hospitalizations in developed countries is caused by events related to drug therapy, including incorrect intake, defective medications, unexpected reactions or treatment that did not work properly.
Injectable medications and syringes, such as insulin or an EpiPen, are particularly vulnerable because they must remain with patients throughout the day – while any exposure to heat, light or shaking may disrupt their effectiveness. According to the organization’s estimates, more than 15% of unplanned hospitalizations stem directly from medication-related problems – a concerning figure that underscores the importance of proper storage.
1. The glove compartment in the car – In the summer, a closed car functions like an oven: The temperature inside easily reaches 60 degrees, and the medications simply “cook.” Even in winter, extreme changes between cold and humidity damage the medication. The result: Active ingredients break down, and the medication is no longer effective. It may also be dangerous. Therefore, if medications must be carried in a vehicle, they should only be placed inside a device capable of maintaining the medication at an appropriate temperature at all times, and for a short time only.
2. The child’s backpack – The school bag is exposed for hours to the sun, to heat and to cold that may be freezing, is thrown on the floor, absorbs heat from classroom heating or moisture from a leaking water bottle. Medications, such as an EpiPen for treating a severe allergic reaction, are especially sensitive to shaking, heat and freezing cold. All of these together may disable their function precisely when they are needed, and for this purpose there are special devices that maintain temperature. At the same time, it is important to provide clear instructions to the staff on how to handle the medication when it is needed.
3. The top shelf in the kitchen or bathroom – Storing medications high up in the kitchen or bathroom, out of the reach of small children, exposes them to heat. Steam and heat in the bathroom or kitchen rise to the ceiling and create a storage environment that destroys medications. It may look fine, but inside, the active ingredient is no longer functioning properly. Therefore, it is necessary to follow storage instructions in a closed, shaded, dry place, and far from any source of heat
4. The back corner or the refrigerator door – A medication in the back corner of the refrigerator may freeze and lose its effectiveness due to freezing when the refrigerator remains closed for several days; on the other hand, if it is stored in the refrigerator door for an extended period, it is exposed to a temperature higher than 8 degrees and may lose effectiveness over time. Therefore, medications must be stored in the refrigerator in a special compartment capable of protecting them from freezing on the one hand and maintaining a temperature of up to 8 degrees even when the refrigerator is not operating optimally ( also during a power outage ). In the case of medications suitable for storage at room temperature, they should be kept in a closed cabinet inside an air-conditioned room.
Medications do not fail only because of the active ingredient but because of a lack of attention to additional details such as the external environment. Changing the storage location can significantly affect the effectiveness of treatment. Proper drug therapy is more than taking the medication at the right time and in the correct dose, but also understanding the conditions that can make it effective or useless.
The author is the CEO of TempraMed