The medicine cabinet has been a household staple since time immemorial. The chances are that you started building your store because your mom did, and she probably did the same because her mom did, and so forth.
Luckily, unlike the many useless traditions we inherit from our parents, the medicine cabinet most certainly deserves its place in the family home. This is, after all, a stockpile that can see you protecting your children from infection, fighting disease head-on, and generally being the badass mom we know you are.
The trouble is that, often, we let our medicine cabinets get out of control. In fact, until someone gets sick, you likely don’t even spare your supplies a single thought.
Sadly, a failure to get organized here could prove a significant downfall. Evidence even suggests that you should have a total clear out of your medicine stocks at least once a year. And, here’s why.
# 1 – Expiry dates are often shorter than you realize
Many of us don’t pay the slightest bit of attention to medication expiry dates, assuming that we’ll have many years in which to use the stuff, but that’s not always the case. By blindly chucking products back in your cabinet, you risk both ineffective future treatments, and even medication that does more damage than the ailment it aims to cure. Only by checking every date on an annual basis can you get rid of the outdated stuff, and keep a fresh supply of medicine at its best.
# 2 – New medication findings emerge all the time
It’s also worth noting that new medication findings emerge all the time. In this sense, keeping your supplies stocked with the latest stuff ensures the most effective treatments. Not to mention that getting rid of old medications can mean removing ingredients that may have emerged as unsafe, after all. Most recently, this is an issue we’ve seen with Zantac cancer cases, but that’s by no means the only instance when a seemingly harmless medication has emerged as dangerous. By updating medicines accordingly, you can thus avoid any unpleasant side effects for you or your family.
# 3 – Your best chance at finding what you need in a hurry
On a more simplistic level, keeping on top with organization ensures that you always know what you have in your supplies, and where to find it. This level of efficiency can prove invaluable if your child is dealing with a bleeding wound or intense stomach pains. And, you can bet it’ll only be possible if you clean those stocks out regularly, and keep a mental note of what’s what with your medications at all times.
Make no mistake; stocking a few essential medications is vital when you have kids in the house. Still, taking the time to stay on top with your medicine cabinet at all times can take those benefits to the next level, and help you look after your family, and yourself, the moment illness rears its ugly head.
I would avoid ziplock because you want dosage info and expiration on each container. Re packaging supplements is a big pain just because it’s hard to remember what each supplement contains, even if you write the exp. and dosage. Time consuming.