Medications are designed to interact with the body’s chemistry, which is why it’s important to take them as directed. But, did you know it’s also important to store them correctly? That helps preserve their chemical integrity, so the body can fully absorb them.

Follow directions — completely
“When dispensing medications, I tell people how to take them and why,” says Jenny Gau, PharmD, a manager with Pharmacy @ Park Nicollet. “Patients seem to follow directions better when they understand why medications must be taken a certain way.”

Depending on the medication, some need to be taken on an empty stomach, full stomach, with a full glass of water or several times throughout the day for the body to absorb them. To avoid adverse reactions, some should not be mixed with other drugs, alcohol, certain foods, vitamins or supplements. “Your pharmacist will advise you of these precautions,” Gau says.

People sometimes stop taking medications before the prescription says, but it’s important to avoid that impulse. “Many medications help manage chronic conditions and, even though patients may not see obvious results, they should not discontinue their use without consulting their doctor first,” Gau says. Sometimes discontinuing a medication can be very dangerous — as is the case with medications that treat high blood pressure.

Why not the medicine cabinet?
“One of the worst places to store medications is in the bathroom medicine cabinet, especially if it’s a hot and humid room. The drugs can absorb humidity and disintegrate,” Gau explains. About 90 percent of all medications should be stored in a cool, dry place, such as a kitchen cupboard. The remaining 10 percent need refrigeration, including some liquid antibiotics, eye drops and diabetes medications, such as insulin. It’s also important to remove cotton from pill bottles, because it can absorb moisture from pills.

When several family members each have multiple medications, Gau recommends each person use a separate bin. Keeping medications in their original containers helps avoid confusion and helps track expiration dates. “The only exception is when using seven-day pill reminder boxes, which can be very helpful.”

Gau reminds people to store medications out of children’s reach and away from anyone who is likely to abuse them (see “The latest buzz: Prescription drugs make headlines.”)

Discard safely
Drug cabinets should be cleaned out every six months. When disposing prescription drugs, Food and Drug Administration recommends:

• taking unused, unneeded or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers and throwing them in the trash
• mixing prescription drugs with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter, and putting the mixture in empty cans or sealable bags to help ensure they will stay out of the wrong hands
• flushing prescription drugs down the toilet if the label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs doing so

“In short, we work to ensure medication safety at every step,” Gau says. “Our first steps are to make sure patients use and store medications correctly, and we follow up by making sure people know how to prevent medications from getting into the wrong hands or harming the environment.”

To learn more about using, storing and discarding drugs properly, call 952-993-5500. Or visit parknicollet.com/stores/pharmacy to learn more about Pharmacy @ Park Nicollet.