Safe Storage and Disposal of Medication
Disposal of Unwanted Medication
Please contact us to arrange the disposal of your unwanted medicines. (Please note that we are not able to accept sharps such as needles. These will have to be disposed of through your GP surgery or local council).
Safe Storage of Medication
Most medications should be stored in a dry place away from heat and humidity.
Some medications also have special instructions for storage. Check for special instructions on your prescription label.
If your medication needs to be protected from light, it should be stored in a container that keeps out light.
Keep track of the expiry dates of the medications by asking the pharmacy team to put this information on your medication vial. You can also put this information on a sticker on the container that you are using for the medication.
Don’t store multiple medications in the same vessel, as this makes it hard to keep track of which medications are which, which doses have been taken, and what the expiry dates are.
Keep medicines well out of reach and out of sight of young children. Put them in a high locked cupboard or cabinet.
Don’t keep them:
- on your bedside table – your child can easily get into the bedroom without being seen
- in your handbag – this is a favourite place for toddlers to find tablets
- in the fridge – ‘keep cool’ usually means keep away from direct sunlight or warm places like radiators
If a medicine needs to be kept in the fridge it will say so on the box. If it does, keep it as high up and as hidden as possible.
