Superdrug's Pharmacy Superintendent Rachel Jones has issued a reminder ahead of winter that bathrooms can be a challenging environment for storing medicines such as paracetamol and ibuprofen.
With colder weather approaching, Jones is urging people to consider where they keep their medication, noting that many medicines need to be kept cool, dry, and away from excess heat and moisture.
Why bathrooms are problematic
"It's incredibly common to keep medicines in the bathroom because it feels like the natural place for them, but bathrooms can actually be one of the more challenging environments in the home for medicine storage," Jones explained.
She added: "Every medicine is different, so you should always follow the storage instructions on its packaging or patient information leaflet. However, heat, steam and moisture can affect the stability of some medicines, which is why you'll often see instructions telling you to store them in a cool, dry place."
A bedroom drawer or cupboard away from radiators and direct sunlight may be more suitable for many medicines, provided they remain safely out of the sight and reach of children. Jones also cautioned against automatically moving everything into the fridge, as medicines should only be refrigerated when their specific storage instructions say so.
Painkillers and other daily medicines
Pain-relief packets such as paracetamol and ibuprofen are among the medicines people may instinctively keep in bathroom cabinets. However, tablets and capsules should be stored according to the conditions specified on their packaging, and a humid bathroom is not necessarily the best location.
Jones advised keeping medicines in their original containers rather than transferring them to unlabelled packaging to ensure protection and preserve essential usage and storage information. Even if medicines are within their expiry date, visible changes in appearance, texture, or smell, or signs of cracking, chipping, or sticking together, should prompt a consultation with a pharmacist.
Antihistamine tablets, the contraceptive pill, and prescription medicines also have specific storage requirements that vary by product. Jones noted that not every runny nose or bout of sneezing is necessarily an allergy, and advised speaking to a pharmacist if unsure about symptoms or treatment.
Refrigeration is not universal
The opposite mistake can also occur, with some assuming that keeping a medicine colder must mean it is safer. Some medicines, including certain injections, creams, ointments and eye drops, may require refrigeration, while many others do not.
Jones said: "The fridge isn't a universal solution for medicines. If a medicine needs refrigeration, this should be clearly stated in its storage instructions, and maintaining the correct temperature can be important to its stability. Equally, putting medicine in the fridge when it isn't meant to be there isn't necessarily better. The safest rule is a simple one: follow the storage instructions for that individual product."
