It is essential to maintain adequate conservation of medicines so that they maintain their quality, safety and efficacy characteristics. And the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) gives us the keys
We’re in full vacation and every Friday that arrives the number of people who leave home increases to go to their town, to the beach, to the mountains… always in good company and with perfectly prepared medicines so that they can endure these dates without losing their effectiveness for our health.
Because in addition to the swimsuit and the towel, or the mountain boots, on many occasions the medicines will travel with us, either for specific treatments or for chronic pathologies.
Medicines should be taken care of as much or more than food
We must never forget that just as we take care of transporting food when we go abroad, we also We must maintain an adequate conservation of medicinesmostly in summer, so that they maintain their quality, safety and efficacy characteristics.
AND not only in our summer transferswe must also take into account that the increase in temperature, which can be very high in the event of a heat wave, can affect the drugs that we have at home
Therefore, the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) recalls the importance of take into account these conditions and frames them in a series of simple tips to follow in the event of a heat wave:
1 – Don’t you know how to keep your medicine? in the leaflet you can find all the information, and if not, you can consult your pharmacist.
2 – There are certain drugs that require stored at specific temperaturesand they always appear specified on the packaging. Among them are:
- Medications to be stored between +2ºC and +8ºC, which must always be in the fridge. So if we move with them they must go in a perfectly refrigerated portable fridge.
- Medications to be stored at less than 25ºC or less than 30ºC. In these cases, even when the room temperature sporadically exceeds 40ºC, it will not affect the conservation of the medicine because they are very punctual rises and, fortunately, they do not remain throughout the day. Another thing is heat waves in places where they can repeatedly be above 40º. But it is not usual.
3 – When they do not require a specific temperature The best place to store medicines is the cool and dry placeswhere the temperature will never be very extreme.
4 – If our treatment is with creams, ovules or suppositories, you have to know that they are more sensitive to high temperatures. For this reason, the AEMPS recommends that if when opening them, their appearance has been modified, they should not be used.
Medicines in the trunk is never a good idea
When traveling it is better not to put medicines in suitcases. The luggage will normally go in the trunk, where extraordinarily high temperatures will be reached.
Finally, according to the Spanish Medicines Agency, there are many drugs that do not require special storage temperature conditions, and can be kept at room temperature. These medicines have even shown that they do not degrade when exposed to temperatures of 40ºC for six months.
Medications and air travel
Traveling by plane is another possibility for transfers during the summer holidays, and there we must also take the medicines we need.
The first thing to take into account are issues related to airport and flight security. Regarding medications Aena explains that, on flights Within the European Union, you can travel with medicines in your hand luggage.
In case they are liquid medications that must be used during the tripboth on the plane and during the stay at the destination of the flight, “are exempt from the restrictions on the transport of liquids in hand luggage.”
Yes indeed, always accompanied by the prescription or medical prescription correspondent.
In case of traveling to countries outside the EU, it is best to contact the airline with which we are going to fly to find out the conditions for the entry of medicines into the destination country.
should also check with the corresponding company if what you need to bring are syringes for diabeticsmeasuring devicesetc.
How experts recommend transporting medicines
Once we have all the information on how to get on the plane with our medicines, it is time to know how to transport them correctly.
For this the Spanish Association of Generic Medicines (AESEG) offers us some general recommendations:
- At passenger control we will have to show our cosmetic bag with medicines, so keeping it in an accessible place can speed up the process.
- The prescription or prescription must also be at hand.
- The best thing, even if they are bulkier and somewhat uncomfortable, is to take them in the original containers and with their prospectuses.
- You always have to carry extra doses in your hand luggage Because once the suitcase is checked in, the medication can be altered (heat, blows…) or even lost.
- If you are traveling outside of Spain, it may be a good idea to bring a copy of the medical report translated into English.
- And watch out for time differences. Your dose schedules may be altered.