How to check your home medicine cabinet in 15 minutes: expiry dates, storage and the essentials

We open the medicine cabinet when we have a headache or someone cuts a finger, but we almost never stop to go through it. With cold and flu season starting, now is a good time. In about 15 minutes you can get rid of anything expired, organize what's useful and make sure nothing important is missing.

Step 1: empty it and check the dates

Take everything out and lay it on a table. Check the expiration date on each item. Remember too that some medicines have a shorter use-by period once opened than the printed date: eye drops, syrups, creams and children's suspensions often last only weeks or months after opening. The leaflet will tell you. A handy trick: write the date you opened it on the package with a marker.

Also discard any medicine that has changed color, smell or texture, even if it hasn't expired, and loose pills without packaging or leaflet: you can't be sure what they are or what dose they contain.

Step 2: don't toss it in the trash or flush it

Medicines flushed down the toilet or thrown in the trash can contaminate water and soil. Many pharmacies have take-back points for unused medicines, and some countries hold national drug take-back days. Bring expired or unused medicines there in their packaging. If there's no take-back option near you, ask your pharmacist or local authority how to dispose of them safely. Needles and lancets should go in a special rigid sharps container.

Step 3: watch for alerts and recalls

From time to time, health authorities recall a specific batch of a medicine because of a quality or packaging problem. If you take a medicine regularly, it's worth occasionally checking your national medicines regulator's website, where recalls are posted, or asking at your pharmacy. Never stop a long-term treatment on your own because of a news story: talk to your doctor or pharmacist first.

Step 4: location matters

Ironically, the bathroom is one of the worst places to keep medicines. Shower steam and temperature swings can degrade them. The ideal spot is:

• Somewhere cool, dry and dark, such as a cupboard in a bedroom or hallway.
• Out of children's reach and sight, ideally up high or locked. Accidental medicine poisonings are a common reason for pediatric emergency visits.
• Away from the kitchen stove and other heat sources.
• Medicines that need refrigeration (some insulins, vaccines or eye drops) belong in the fridge, on a middle shelf, never frozen.
• Always in their original packaging, with the leaflet.

Step 5: what shouldn't be missing

A basic home kit might include:

• For wounds: sterile gauze, adhesive bandages in several sizes, medical tape, saline solution, an antiseptic (such as chlorhexidine), blunt-tipped scissors and tweezers.
• For pain and fever: acetaminophen (paracetamol) or ibuprofen, in adult strengths and, if there are children at home, versions suited to their age and weight.
• A digital thermometer.
• For the stomach: oral rehydration salts, useful for diarrhea and vomiting.
• For mild allergies: an antihistamine recommended by your pharmacist.
• An instant or gel cold pack.
• Disposable gloves.
• A list with emergency numbers, the poison control number, and each family member's medicines and allergies.

There's no need to stockpile: a few useful items in good condition are better than a mountain of boxes.

Common mistakes

• Keeping leftover antibiotics "just in case." Antibiotics should be taken only with a prescription and for the prescribed time. Self-medicating fuels resistance.
• Doubling up on active ingredients. Many cold and flu remedies already contain acetaminophen; taking them together with plain acetaminophen can exceed the safe dose. Always read the ingredients.
• Using kitchen spoons to measure syrups. Use the dosing device that comes with the medicine.
• Sharing prescription medicines prescribed for someone else.

Put the next check on the calendar

Reviewing your medicine cabinet twice a year, for instance when the clocks change in spring and fall, is an easy habit to remember. Fifteen minutes of tidying can prevent a scare and save you an emergency trip to the pharmacy at the worst possible moment. And whenever you have a question about a medicine, your pharmacist is a great ally.