Where to keep your medicines at home (it is not the bathroom)

The bathroom cabinet looks like the natural place for medicines. It is actually one of the worst: every shower fills it with heat and humidity.

What harms medicines

Heat, moisture and light can make medicines weaker or make them expire early. Tablets and capsules are especially sensitive to heat and damp.

Good places

• A drawer in a bedroom or a closet shelf.
• A kitchen cupboard away from the stove, the oven and the sink.
• Anywhere cool, dry and out of direct sunlight.

Places to avoid

• The bathroom, because of steam from the shower and sink.
• The car and its glove compartment, which can get very hot or very cold.
• Windowsills and the top of the fridge, which get warm.

Keep them in the original box

The box and the bottle carry the name, the dose, the expiry date and the leaflet. If you keep medicines in their original container, all of that stays together. If a bottle came with a cotton ball, take it out: it can draw moisture inside.

Keep them away from children

Store medicines out of reach and out of sight, ideally in a cupboard with a child latch or a lock.

Some medicines need the fridge

Some medicines, such as certain injections, must be kept cold. The label or the pharmacist will tell you. If in doubt, ask.

PillRem keeps the expiry date of each box and reminds you before it arrives, so the cabinet stays tidy.