Proper Medication Storage
Fact or Myth:
“Your bathroom medicine cabinet is the best place to store medications”
That’s a myth!
Medications should be stored in a cool, dark, and dry place unless otherwise specified by your pharmacist.
The heat and moisture from the shower, bath, and sink in the bathroom chemically damage medications, which can cause them to become less potent or go bad before their expiration date.
To learn more about proper medication storage, read on!
PLEASE NOTE: The information provided below is not intended to replace a consultation with your pharmacist or physician. If you have questions about your medication(s) or are experiencing a health concern, please talk to your pharmacist.
Medication Integrity
How you store your medications can affect how well they work.
At their most basic level, medications are all chemicals—and chemicals react! When drugs are exposed to heat, light, air, or moisture, chemical reactions occur and begin breaking the medications down. These chemical reactions are too small for even a microscope to see, but they cause the medicine to lose its potency and chemical stability. This degradation results in medications going bad before their expiration date, even if the medicine looks the same as it did before.
Storing medications in a cool, dark, and dry place in their original packaging helps prevent these chemical reactions from occurring. Proper storage keeps the medicine chemicals more stable so that they can have their full and intended effect in the body.
- Outdoor locations, like your mailbox or parked car, can become very hot in the summer and cold in the winter—remember to bring medications inside as soon as possible to protect their quality
- If medications have been stored improperly and you are concerned about their quality or safety, return them to your pharmacy for safe disposal and replacement
Choosing a Storage Location
In addition to being cool, dark, and dry, it is also important to select a secure location to store your medications.
Choose a spot that is up, away, and out of sight from children and pets. When possible, secure medications with a lock or child safety latch. Unless they have special storage requirements, try to keep all your medications in the same place. Remember to put medications back in their designated spot each time after using them.
Some possible storage locations include:
- An upper shelf in your linen closet
- A dresser drawer in your bedroom
- A kitchen cabinet away from the sink and appliances
However, medications are only effective when you remember to take them! Instead of placing your medication in an easily accessible, high-traffic area, try other types of reminders:
- Post a reminder note or other visual cue in a routine location, like on your bathroom mirror or near your coffee maker
- Set a daily alarm on your smartphone or other device
- Use a paper or digital "habit tracker," or mark your doses on a calendar
Safety and Storage Tips
Here are some more steps you can take to ensure your medications are protected and stored safely:
- Store medications in their original containers—this helps preserve your medications, but also allows you to check the package for information like safety warnings, ingredients, and the expiry date
- If you use a pill organizer, keep a list of your medications with it so that the pills can be easily identified; keep your remaining medications in their original packages until you need to refill the organizer
- Sometimes pills are packaged with cotton inside the bottle to protect them during shipping—remove this after you take the medication home, as it can draw excess moisture into the bottle and damage the medicine over time
- Some pills are packaged with a desiccant packet to keep them dry—keep this packet inside the vial to preserve your medication
- Do not use medication that has changed in colour, smell, or texture—even if it hasn't passed the expiration date yet
- Speak to your pharmacist if your medication seems different than what it was like in the past, as this could be a manufacturing change or something more serious
Remember to return unused, damaged, and expired medications to your pharmacy for safe disposal. To learn more, visit our Safe Medication Disposal webpage.
Medications With Special Storage Requirements
Always follow the storage instructions from your pharmacist and those printed on the medication package. If you are ever unsure of how to store a medication, ask your pharmacist for help.
The large majority of medications can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dry, dark, and secure location. However, some medications have special storage requirements that are critical for their safety and efficacy.
Medications that Require Refrigeration
Some medications need to be stored in the refrigerator to keep them safe and effective. Common medications that require refrigeration include liquid antibiotic medicines and injectable medications for diabetes. Choose a place in the refrigerator that is apart from food products and out of sight and reach from children. Keep medications away from the refrigerator’s cooling element and ensure that they do not freeze.
- Refrigerators storing medications must maintain a temperature of minimum 2°C (36°F) to maximum 8°C (46°F)
- Domestic refrigerators can have unexpected temperature fluctuations, so a digital thermometer may be helpful to monitor
- If a medication's temperature has not been maintained, like if it has become too warm or frozen, contact your pharmacist for help
Insulin for Diabetes
For insulin to work properly, it is critical that it is stored as per the manufacturer’s instruction. Insulin products are very sensitive to extremes of heat and cold, which can result in a significant loss of efficacy.
When you bring home a new vial, cartridge, or pen of insulin, store it in the fridge until you need it. Although it is safe, injecting cold insulin may be painful; once you begin using a new package of insulin, you may store it at room temperature. The first time you use an insulin pen/cartridge or poke the insulin vial, use a permanent marker to write the date directly onto the package. Before using your insulin, check the expiration date as well as how long it has been since you started using that package.
- Once an insulin vial has been poked, it can generally be stored inside the fridge or at controlled room temperature for 28 days before it must be discarded
- Once an insulin pen has been used, it should not be refrigerated—after each injection, discard the used needle into a sharps disposal container and store the pen with its cap on at controlled room temperature
- While most insulins can be used for 28 days after opening, some can be used for longer or shorter lengths of time—always check the insulin packaging and ask your pharmacist how long your specific insulin(s) should be used before discarding
- How long you can use insulin in an insulin pump varies by the type of insulin and the pump's requirements—check the instructions for both and abide by whichever length of time is shorter
- Before using your insulin, always visually inspect it for changes in clarity, colour, or solid particles—insulin that is normally clear should always be clear, and should not be used if it is cloudy
Always speak to your pharmacist before using a new insulin product. Ask your pharmacist about how to store your specific insulin products and when they should be discarded. If your insulin ever looks different, doesn’t seem to work as well, or has been stored improperly, contact your pharmacist for help.
Resources to Learn More
Interested in learning more? Explore the resources included here!
Safe Kids Worldwide
What to Know About Storing Medicine
HealthLinkBC
Storing Insulin and Prefilling Syringes