The storage conditions of all drugs in Turkey are determined by routine stability tests. Medicine cabinets ensure that medicaments are stored under appropriate conditions. Temperature and humidity monitoring is requested for medicaments and medicine cabinets, and these conditions are constantly monitored. Coolermed, with its cabinets specially designed for indoor and outdoor use, allows sensitive products such as medicine and vaccines to be stored correctly. The properties of medicaments and medicine cabinets are as important as temperature and humidity monitoring for medication and medicine cabinets. High quality medicine cabinets are preferred for the storage of medicine and other medical products.
There are 4 different media options for the storage of drugs. These environments are room temperature, deep freezer, cool place and refrigerator. Considering international standards, Turkey is located in the temperate climate zone. The annual average temperature value varies between +25 and -2 degrees. The average humidity rate in our country is stated as 65% RH/-5. Within the framework of these conditions, drugs must be stored and distributed under appropriate conditions.
If temperature and humidity monitoring for medication and medicine cabinets is carried out without interruption during storage, medicines can be delivered to users in the most appropriate way. Otherwise, the drugs lose their effects before their expiration date. How should drugs be stored? What should be considered when choosing the right cabinet for medicines?
How Should the Pharmacy and Medicine Cabinet Be?
Temperature and humidity monitoring for medication and medicine cabinets is very important for drug safety. In addition, the properties of medicine, pharmacy and vaccine cabinets are of great importance. Safe storage of sensitive products both prevents casualties and provides benefits to users. We can list the features that should be in the pharmacy and medicine cabinets as follows:
- The fact that the refrigerators where medicines will be stored have a defrost feature, preventing icing.
- Coolers with adjustable shelves allow hundreds of product alternatives to be stored at the same time without any problems.
- Cooler/Freezer Combi provides systematic storage of medical products.
- Medicinal products must be stored in accordance with predetermined rules. Therefore, drugs with compatible storage conditions can be stored together. Appropriate conditions should be provided by choosing different models of cabinets.
- Cabinets can be in different temperature ranges, models in which even the most sensitive products can be safely stored should be preferred.
- Cabinets should have flexible usage features.
- The ease of portability of the medicine cabinets makes it easy to use.
- Cabinet capacity should be determined according to usage needs.
- Cooler models with a touch screen provide comfortable use.
- Written or audible alarm systems should be used in cabinets where drugs and other medical products will be stored. This saves time to avoid potential problems.
How are The Temperature of Drugs Monitored?
Pharmacies are regularly inspected by the Health Directorate. During the inspections, there are certain features that are taken into consideration regarding temperature and humidity monitoring for medication and medicine cabinets. It is possible to list the audited titles as follows:
- Must have a temperature and humidity measuring device,
- Heat and humidity levels should be between appropriate values,
- The temperature of the refrigerator thermometer should be recorded.
The expected temperature range in pharmacies is 18-26 ºC, while the humidity corresponds to 30-60%. The temperature of the refrigerator in the pharmacies should be between 2 and 8 º C.
There are distribution and storage conditions that must be followed for drugs and products in the medicine cabinet. In the application guide covering these topics, the following explanations are made for temperature and humidity monitoring for medication and medicine cabinets:
- Medical supplies, pharmaceutical products and other product types need to be grouped and stored within themselves. The rules determined by the manufacturer should be observed regarding the storage of products that need to be stored in a separate place. All products should be protected from heat, light and moisture and the damages that may arise from these factors should be prevented. Temperature and humidity monitoring for medication and medicine cabinets should be carried out periodically, recorded and these records should be audited with routine controls.
- Appropriate storage areas should be available for drugs that need to be stored at certain temperatures. In these storage areas and cabinets, there should be extra devices that will warn when the stable value is exceeded. Temperature recording devices can also be preferred during the use of these cabinets. A sufficient number of devices should be kept in the required areas in order to meet all the stipulated conditions.
Medicine Storage Conditions
There are many types of medicine in pharmacies. The storage conditions of drugs are determined by different tests. Storage conditions must be written on the packaging of the drugs. Some of these drugs need to be stored at room temperature. Some drugs need to be stored in a cool place or in cold cabinets.
Hygiene takes the first place among the features of the medicine cabinet. The ideal temperature for drugs that should be stored at room temperature varies between 15 and 25 degrees. Among the drugs that should be stored at room temperature there are options such as tablets, capsules, syrup, ampoules and mouthwash. Medicine that should be stored in cool areas should not be placed in refrigerators. The ideal storage temperature for these medicine is between 8 and 15 degrees. Medicines that need to be stored in a cold environment should be stored at 2 to 8 degrees. During storage, temperature and humidity monitoring should be carefully maintained for drugs and medicine cabinets.
Medicine that need to be kept in refrigerators are called cold chain drugs. These drugs are kept in cold storage. Medicines distributed according to cold chain rules should be kept in appropriate cabinets in hospitals, health centers, pharmacies and other health institutions. In these places where drugs are sent, attention should be paid to storage conditions, and temperature and humidity monitoring should be carried out regularly for drugs and medicine cabinets.
Are Temperature and Humidity Monitoring Important for Medicine Cabinets?
The storage conditions of drugs that have to be stored for a long time in pharmacy warehouses are of great importance. In addition, in drugstores and pharmacies humidity, temperature and refrigerator controls should be carried out regularly and data should be recorded after each control. Undesirable situations can be encountered in cabinets that are not followed regularly.
At this stage, it is important to follow up on expired drugs. During the temperature and humidity monitoring for medicines and medicine cabinets, date checks are also made to ensure safe storage conditions. In the arrangement of medicine cabinets, those with a long expiration date are kept in the back, while medicines with a near expiration date are kept in the front. Thanks to early warning systems, drugs that are about to expire must be destroyed.
It is imperative that drugs are stored correctly in all processes from their production to the use of patients! If the necessary storage and transportation conditions are not met, a change in the stable state of the drug may be observed. This can cause the drug to experience different reactions. As a result of improper storage, the effect of the drugs decreases and even the life of the drugs is shortened.
Medicine that need to be stored at room temperature should be stored at temperatures below 25 degrees Celsius and humidity below 60 percent. Higher temperatures reduce the efficiency of drugs. This also applies to medicine stored in the refrigerator. If the controls of the drugs that should be kept at minimum 2 degrees and maximum 8 degrees in the refrigerator are not done properly and an erroneous situation occurs, it may not be reversable. However, if temperature and humidity monitoring is carried out regularly for medicaments and medicine cabinets, it is possible to benefit from medicine at the maximum rate.
Safety of Medicament and Medicine Cabinets
The storage conditions of drugs, blood, vaccines and other medical products are very important! Coolermed cooler and freezer cabinets allow safe use with high production and quality standards. Cabinet models with innovative designs can be used both comfortably and for a long time. Coolermed medical cooler products are designed in accordance with different needs. Offering technological alternatives for medicine and pharmacy cabinets, Coolermed is used safely in the country and abroad with its solution-oriented service network.
You can reach our previous article from the following link https://coolermed.com/en/how-should-the-vaccine-refrigerator-temperature-monitoring-be-done/.