{"id":599633,"date":"2026-05-23T10:35:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T10:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/599633\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T10:35:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T10:35:11","slug":"common-prescription-drug-that-needs-particular-care-during-heatwave-as-uk-temperatures-set-to-soar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/599633\/","title":{"rendered":"Common prescription drug that needs ‘particular care’ during heatwave as UK temperatures set to soar"},"content":{"rendered":"

A pharmacist has warned hot weather can affect both how our bodies respond to medicines and how medicines themselves perform if they are not stored correctly\"Woman<\/p>\n

People are urged not to leave medicines in hot environments such as parked cars(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

People are being warned to take extra care storing their medications this weekend as temperatures continue to climb across the UK.<\/p>\n

Forecasters say the hot spell will intensify on Saturday (May 23) ahead of what could become the hottest May bank holiday on record on Monday (May 25), with temperatures expected to top 30C in parts of England and Wales.<\/p>\n

As the heatwave continues, TV pharmacist<\/a> Thorrun Govind has warned that some common medicines can become less effective or even unsafe if exposed to high temperatures.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter<\/p>\n

One medication requiring ‘particular care’ during hot weather<\/a> is insulin, which is used by millions of people living with diabetes.<\/p>\n

Ms Govind, a pharmacist based in Manchester and former chair of the Royal College of Pharmacy, said: “Hot weather can affect both how our bodies respond to medicines and how medicines themselves perform if they are not stored correctly.”<\/p>\n

\"Person's<\/p>\n

High temperatures can reduce how effective insulin is(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

She continued: “Some medicines are also vulnerable to heat itself. Insulin is a key example, as high temperatures can reduce how effective it is. Medicines that require refrigeration or temperature-controlled storage need particular care during heatwaves.<\/p>\n

“Patients should always check storage instructions, keep medicines in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and avoid leaving them in hot environments such as parked cars.”<\/p>\n

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has previously issued advice warning that many medications can be damaged during periods of hot weather.<\/p>\n

Most medicines should be stored below 25C, but temperatures inside cars, trains and buses can rise during summer heatwaves. Rooms exposed to direct sunlight, as well as handbags, backpacks and pockets, can also become hot enough to affect medicines.<\/p>\n

Health officials say this is particularly important for people attending festivals, sporting events, beaches or spending long periods outdoors.<\/p>\n

According to the MHRA, heat can break down the active ingredients in medicines, potentially making them less effective when they are needed most. This can affect a range of treatments, including tablets, inhalers, hormone patches, insulin and EpiPens.<\/p>\n

\"Visitors<\/p>\n

Temperatures could climb to 33C in parts of the UK this bank holiday weekend(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Medicines that need refrigeration are especially vulnerable if left out for too long or stored incorrectly. The regulator warns people to look out for signs their medicine may have been heat-damaged, including changes in colour, texture or smell.<\/p>\n

Patients are being urged to read the patient information leaflet carefully and keep medicines in the coolest part of the home, away from direct sunlight.<\/p>\n

Anyone travelling during the hot weather is advised not to leave medicines in parked vehicles or warm bags, while a cool bag may help protect temperature-sensitive medication during long days out.<\/p>\n

The MHRA also warned that heat damage may affect how medicines are absorbed by the body, potentially making doses too strong or too weak.<\/p>\n

People who notice changes in how they feel, or feel their medicines are not working as expected during hot weather, are advised to speak to a pharmacist or GP.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A pharmacist has warned hot weather can affect both how our bodies respond to medicines and how medicines…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":599634,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[59,102,56,1018,54,55],"class_list":["post-599633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-gb","tag-health","tag-uk","tag-uk-weather","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=599633"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599633\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/599634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=599633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=599633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=599633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}