When the summer season comes, storage conditions are of great importance for products that are sensitive to heat. Food products, beverages and medicines, products that are likely to spoil quickly in heat. If these products are kept above a certain temperature, they become unusable before the expiry date. It is necessary to take the necessary precautions to keep the medicine away from the summer heat, which are especially important in human health and the medical field.
The most ideal way to preserve drugs, vaccines and all heat sensitive medical products is to use medical refrigerants. Especially in summer, the importance of medical coolers increases. Coolermed offers durable devices to protect medical coolers, drugs and other medical supplies. In this article, while addressing the question, “Why is it important to keep medicine away from summer heat?”, we share the benefits of medical coolers in this regard.
Why Do Medicine Deteriorate?
Medicines are among the most sensitive products due to the chemicals they contain. Therefore, they are offered in packages that can be stored until the expiration date. Still, some factors cause drugs to break down. Here are the reasons for the deterioration of drugs:
-When the expiration date passes, the active ingredients in the drugs lose their properties. In fact, spoiled drugs can cause a reaction and can be dangerous for health.
-Humidity is among the factors that negatively affect the drugs.
-Temperature changes are among the most important factors in the deterioration of drugs. In order to keep the drugs away from the summer heat, they must be kept at the temperature specified in their prospectus.
Controlling the use of medicine is among the priority measures. Some symptoms can show whether the drugs are spoiled or not. The issue to be considered here is the type of drug. Because drugs in the form of capsules, syrups or creams may look different when they deteriorate. So, we listed what are the signs of deterioration of drugs for you:
-When tablets deteriorate, color change can be observed.
-When creams dry, their smell changes and they may get covered with mold, this indicates that they have deteriorated.
-In syrups and other liquid medicines, the most important visible sign of deterioration is sediment accumulation.
-On the other hand, agglomeration and mold formation in powdered drugs indicate that the drug has deteriorated.
Deteriorated drugs cause great harm to health. Poisoning due to this can turn into deadly health problems. Therefore, it is necessary to be especially sensitive to the storage conditions of drugs.
Drug Storage Conditions
It is very important where the medicine is stored in order to keep them safe until the expiration date. The storage conditions of medicine require the creation of an environment suitable for the temperature specified on the package.
The kitchen and bathroom are among the most risky places among the environments that facilitate the deterioration of drugs. Temperature changes caused by the stove and oven in the kitchen lead to the deterioration of drugs. In the bathroom, dampness and humidity affect the pesticides. Here are some tips for storing medicines under appropriate conditions:
-It is a priority that the place where the medicine is stored is dry and away from moisture. Environments with heaters or stoves pose a risk for medicine.
-Sunlight causes drugs to deteriorate more quickly. Therefore, drugs should be stored in a dark environment.
The preparation of a suitable medicine cabinet for medicines and keeping them at a room temperature not exceeding 25 degrees are effective in the preservation of medicines. For summer periods when the temperature exceeds 25 degrees, it becomes difficult to keep the medicine away from the summer heat.
Some drugs, vaccines and serums are not suitable for storage at room temperature. Moreover, medicine needs to be stored longer in pharmacies, clinics and hospitals. In this case, medical coolers stand out to keep medicine away from the summer heat. Coolermed medical coolers offer you the storage space you need to keep medicine below a certain temperature.
Where Should Medicine Be Stored During The Summer?
When summer comes, one of the most asked questions is “Is it right to store medicines in the refrigerator?”. In this case, first of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the prospectuses of the drugs. For drugs that should be stored at room temperature, places that are not exposed to sunlight at a room temperature of 15-25 degrees are emphasized as ideal drug storage conditions. It is recommended to keep the drugs suitable for storage in the refrigerator on the lower shelf.
If drugs in the antibiotic class are prepared by diluting, they should be stored in the refrigerator. Because the role of these drugs in the treatment is quickly affected by heat. Medical coolers are also effective for out-of-home environments such as hospitals, clinics, laboratories or pharmacies to keep medicines away from the summer heat.
With the summer heat, the deterioration time of drugs also changes. It is necessary to consider the storage period, especially for drugs that have been opened. When storing some opened drugs, the temperature may need to be around 2-8 degrees. For some drugs, the maximum period for storage is specified in the package insert. It is of great importance to pay attention to the properties specified in order to keep the drugs away from the summer heat.
Why Should You Keep Medicine Away From The Summer Heat
Sudden temperature changes and high temperature are shown to be one of the most important factors affecting drugs. 5 reasons to keep medicine away from the summer heat are highlighted:
-Chemical substances in drugs can react at high temperatures and can be poisonous.
-Summer heat causes the active ingredients in medicines to lose their properties. For this reason, the therapeutic properties of drugs are adversely affected.
-The faster deterioration of drugs in summer heat also causes economic losses.
-Summer heat causes health problems such as blood pressure and coronary heart diseases to increase. In order to maintain the effectiveness of medicines against these diseases, it is necessary to keep the drugs away from the summer heat.
Humidity plays a major role in the deterioration of drugs. It is necessary to take measures to protect the drugs from the increasing humidity with the summer heat.
Coolermed Protects Your Medicines From The Summer Heat
Medical supplies are of great importance for patients in the diagnosis and treatment phase. Medical coolers are used for the safe storage and preservation of these materials at the appropriate temperature. Medical coolers have two different usage areas:
Indoor Coolers
Indoor coolers are mostly used in closed areas. The most widely used indoor coolers are products such as blood cabinets and vaccine cabinets.
Outdoor Coolers
Outdoor medical coolers are preferred as devices with prominent portable features. It is a great advantage to have a cooling system especially outdoors against the heat experienced in the summer period. It is possible with outdoor coolers to keep medicine away from the summer heat and to prevent the deterioration of medical products during transportation.
There are products in different volumes among Coolermed outdoor coolers. Thus, when it is necessary to keep medicine away from the summer heat, it becomes easier to transport drugs and other medical products.
Coolermed outdoor accessories also play an important role in places where electrical access required for medical coolers is limited. Outdoor accessories use renewable energy. Thus, these special devices that produce consumable energy contribute to sustainable life. Thanks to Coolermed outdoor accessories, energy is obtained in an environmentally friendly way. In addition, it is possible to reach low-cost energy. Electricity is produced with solar energy panels and the cooler can be operated with the help of batteries. Two types stand out in Coolermed outdoor accessories:
-2x Solar Box
-Solar Box
You can also use Coolermed outdoor accessories in environments where electricity is needed to keep medicine from the summer heat. Thus, you can obtain the energy required for the medical cooler.
You can read our previous article from https://coolermed.com/must-have-equipment-in-clinics/.