Many top notch professionals care (a lot) about your wellbeing.

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Picture Dan the famous professor and his ravishing team of young women and men PhD’s. They mobilised their intellectual powers during 8 long years to develop a new and highly effective medication that brings much relief to patients who suffer from acute asthma.
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Meet Sandra, a Swissmedic administration officer. A lady who dedicates her professional life to making sure that processes and procedures are in place so that a medicament – and its users – are safe throughout the supply chain: from the science lab to the packaged product on the Pharmacy’s shelf..
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And last but not least, think of Karl who is like a mother hen when it comes to making sure that his warehouse is preserving thousands of packages of medication at the exact right temperature, so that the cold chain is never interrupted.
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So why do most of us common mortals store our pills just any old way?

It’s not that we’re bad, it’s just that we don’t know!

This article lists 6 important NO NO’s related to storing medicaments. A quick but attentive read gives you and your family the best protection for getting well safely.

So, here goes:

1. Don’t store your medication in your bathroom. Humidity is a power killer!

2. Don’t leave your pills on the backshelf of your car, even if it’s a handy place right now. Direct light gives bad vibes to medicaments!

3. Don’t store pills in your vehicule’s glove box although it may be a neat storage place. And don’t hide them away at a seemingly convenient location, such as a cupboard outside on your balcony. Excessive heat and freezing alters your medication’s properties.

4. Don’t ever leave pills lying around on coffee tables. Put them out of reach of little agile fingers! You never know when the neighbour’s little Fritzli zooms in for a short visit, or when the grand-children turn up unexpectedly. Make sure you store all your family’s medicaments at the same (safe) place.

5. Don’t forget to read the label provided by the manufacturer. Make sure you don’t interrupt the cold chain if your medication needs to be kept cold. This means that – once collected at the Pharmacy – you must not let pass too many hours before storing it in the fridge. Check carefully whether you need to observe a specific temperature range.

6. Don’t leave a cotton plug in a medicine bottle. This can draw moisture into the container.

And whilst we are into Dont’s, let’s give ourselves a real fright with the grapefruit story!

The strange “grapefruit effect” was first discovered entirely by accident.

Here is an extract of an article published on the topic by the Smithsonian Magazine (March 2012).

« As part of a 1989 study, scientists at London’s Victoria Hospital were attempting to discover whether ethanol—the molecule responsible for the intoxicating effects of alcoholic drinks—could negatively interact with a drug called felodipine, developed to treat high blood pressure.

They happened to use grapefruit juice to mask the taste of the alcohol, and discovered unexpectedly high levels of the drug in the blood. After further investigation, they realized it wasn’t the alcohol causing the surge—it was the grapefruit. »

In a nutshell:  Don’t swallow a pill together with a glass of grapefruit juice. Doing so has (for some medicaments) a booster effect and can be like taking 20 tablets.

Please watch this 2 minute video from the US Food and Drug administration and if you still don’t believe that this is possible, google “grapefruit and drug warnings”. All (and more) will be revealed!

An ode to dedicated professionals.

When we are in incredible pain and a medicament miraculously brings relief, let’s have a quick and grateful thought for Dan, Sandra and Karl who – throughout the supply chain of a medicament’s life –  contribute to our wellbeing and safety.

Stay healthy!

Disclaimer:

Whilst we strive to make our articles and tutorials as accurate as possible, NV Logistics SA cannot be held responsible for any advice we give, and changes in rules & regulations initiated by various worldwide organisations, including governments and others.