In the middle of the entrance hall of the Princess Grace Hospital Center, a medicine cabinet was installed for a day, the world day dedicated to patient safety. Inside, medications and dressings in disarray, some of them expired. Some people glance at it curiously, without stopping their path. Others take the time to be interested in this unusual presence, informed by three pharmacy technicians and the department’s health manager. Taking advantage of this “trapped” wardrobe, these health professionals provide advice which could appear basic, of course, but which, however, is far from being applied by the majority. “There is a great lack of understandingrecognizes Dr Catherine Cucchi, head of the pharmacy department at CHPG. The idea is to interactively educate the patient about the proper use of medications, so that they can take responsibility for their own safety.” Everyday products but not trivial, to be used only after medical advice. Here are 5 tips for managing your medicine cabinet.
1. Check expiration dates
Like food, the packaging of medicines, compresses and dressings all have an expiration date.
“Two to three times a year, you must check that the dates have not passed and sort accordingly, advises Jérémy Gil, health executive in the CHPG pharmacy department. An expired product will be ineffective, or even toxic for some. For example, a syrup with excipients inside can cause stomach aches.” Last June, the national medicine safety agency in France (ANSM) revealed that two out of three French people keep unused medicines for the next time, and 34% consider it “rather not risky” or “not at all risky” to take a medicine whose consumption date has expired. “Moreover, you must note the expiry date when you open a medicine that is in multiple doses,” adds Jérémy Gil.
2. Keep the instructions and the packaging
Packets of medication stored in bulk in the medicine cabinet, prescribed a long time ago for who knows which member of the family. The image will speak to many. “You must be careful to keep the instructions and the original packaging to have the batch number, in the event of a problem, and the expiry date,” continues Jérémy Gil.
The risk being, naturally, the misuse of a medication. Whether it is the route of administration or simply the medication error. “With the arrival of generics, many drugs are similarhe explains, holding out two strips containing pink pills. One is vitamin, the other is Spasfon.” Same observation regarding devices used to administer the medication, such as a syrup for children. “The pipettes do not all have the same graduation. The risk is an overdose. This can lead to death”, alert Odile Guinet, hospital pharmacy technician.
3. Be attentive when taking it
“When taking a medication, you must read everything, including the instructions, and not do it out of habit”warns Jérémy Gil.
In the “traps” set for passing patients: packaging (almost) similar in every way but intended for a different treatment: one for the eye, the other for the skin. Be careful, therefore, of confusion. “An eye ointment that we use for the skin is not too serious. In the other direction, it can have an impact. »
Vigilance should also be adopted when using single-dose pipettes. In the medicine cabinet concocted by hospital workers, some are dedicated to rinsing the eyes, the others contain hydrogen peroxide. “If you put hydrogen peroxide in your eyes, there is a risk of burning the mucous membranes,” he warns.
4. Store well
It is also recommended to carefully store medications, high up out of the reach of children, first by establishing one compartment for children, another for adults. “In that for adults, it is preferable to have a part for routine medicines, for example for treatment against blood pressure or diabetes, and another for medicines that are used occasionally, for a common cold. example “, concludes Jérémy Gil.
5. Temperature-sensitive drugs
Temperature-sensitive medications should be stored at a temperature between 2 and 8°C, in a temperate compartment of the refrigerator.