Healthy stock
Interestingly, just like a tool box, a medicine cabinet requires some basic items. Some depend on your preference — for example, your favourite brand of toothpaste and deodorant — others are essentials. In fact, according to the Canadian Pharmacists Association, if you're the parent of a young child there are bare necessities you need. Here's their list of medicine-cabinet musts:
- a medicine spoon or oral liquid syringe
- a thermometer
- pain and fever relievers (acetaminophen or ibuprofen, not aspirin or ASA unless prescribed by a doctor)
- petroleum jelly and diaper-rash ointment
- saline nose drops (to help loosen nasal mucus in infants)
- calamine lotion
- rubbing alcohol to clean thermometers and tweezers
- cotton swabs and balls
- antibiotic ointment and adhesive bandages
- dimenhydrinate (Gravol) for nausea and vomiting
Caring for your medication
Once you've covered the basics, give your medicine cabinet a checkup and examine the rest of its contents. Start by checking the expiry dates on containers of non-prescription medications. Although most products won't harm you past the expiry date, there is a possibility they will have lost some of their potency — good reason to dispose of them. Next, look for prescribed medications that are outdated or no longer used. The best way to rid yourself of these items — both over-the-counter and prescribed medicines — is to return them to your pharmacy for safe disposal. (Never flush drugs down the toilet or put them in the garbage where children or animals can get at them.) It's also important to remember to keep your medicines in a cool place, away from heat and direct light (which, according to the Canadian Pharmacists Association, is not the medicine cabinet). Consider the top shelf of your linen closet or kitchen cupboard (away from the stove), or a locked drawer. Either way, ensure the spot is out of sight and out of reach of children.
Finally, if you find yourself in need of cold-relief medicines (pain reliever, cough syrup, etc.), make sure to consult your pharmacist. Discussing symptoms — and informing the pharmacist of any medications currently being taken — will ensure you pick the right product.
