8 drugs affected by the summer .. and 7 indications of “damage”

A doctor and two pharmacists have warned of the danger of poor storage or exposure to high temperatures during the summer, stressing that poor storage does not lead to the loss of the effectiveness of the drug, but also causes it to shift to harmful chemical compounds, and contributes to the secretion of toxic side materials, which leads to dangerous health complications, especially in people with chronic diseases.

They identified eight allergic types of heat, most notably insulin and liquid antibiotics.

They also identified seven indicators indicating the damage of the drug, the most prominent of which is the change of color, and the change of taste or smell.

They added that in the summer, clinics are witnessing repeated cases of patients whose drugs were damaged as a result of storage in inappropriate places.

In detail, a general doctor, Dr. Waheed Ahmed Fayyad, warned of the risks of poor storage of medicines during the summer, stressing that high temperatures may lead to damage to some medications and the loss of their effectiveness, which negatively affects the health of patients, especially those who suffer from chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

He explained that clinics receive from time to time cases of patients who did not respond to treatment, as expected, as a result of storing medicines in inappropriate places, or in a very hot environment.

He pointed out that some cases were poisoned as a result of the use of drugs that lost their properties due to the long exposure to the heat or the end of their validity, calling on the patients to review the condition of the medications periodically, especially with the beginning of the summer.

He cautioned that the most types of medications that cause anxiety in summer medications, especially insulin (must be kept in the refrigerator), and liquid antibiotics such as amoxicillin, as well as heart and pressure medications, drops and in -kind ointments (may lose sterilization or change their physical properties at high temperatures).

He stressed the importance of dealing with medications while traveling and summer trips. He called for the safe disposal of any drug that has a change in color, texture or smell, even if its validity is not expired, and not to use it except after consulting a doctor or pharmacist.

In turn, the pharmacist Ataf Muhammad Ayman Al -Bani stressed that the loss of the effectiveness of the drug does not necessarily mean that it has completely stopped work, but it indicates a decline in its focus and therapeutic effect, which may weaken its ability to treat the disease, especially in patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes or heart, which makes use without sufficient effectiveness a very serious matter.

She warned that the dangers of some medications are not limited to poor effectiveness, but may be transformed due to the action of high heat or poor storage into harmful chemical compounds, resulting in side materials that may be toxic or irritating the body, noting that the antibiotic “Tetrasycin”, for example, may produce toxic compounds that affect the kidneys, while some intravenous solutions or injections may be lost Its sterilization or chemical formation changes, exposing the patient to severe health complications.

She explained that insulin quickly loses its effectiveness if it goes out of the cooling scope (2-8 degrees Celsius), pointing to the importance of preserving medications in the refrigerator door, or near the freezer.

She stressed that the vehicle is one of the most dangerous places to store medicines during the summer, as its internal temperature in some areas rises to more than 60 degrees Celsius, which leads to damage to the active substance, the change of the color or smell of the drug, or even its non -calculated interaction. The taste, and the tablets are fragmented easily. ”

She advised patients and consumers to verify the conditions for preserving the medicine when receiving it from the pharmacy, by reading the instructions on the box or internal bulletin, and asking the pharmacist directly about the appropriate method of storage, especially in cases of sensitive medications, and keeping them in its original package that provides protection from light and heat, stressing that awareness of how to preserve medicines is no less important than knowing the way they are used.

The pharmacist, Shiraz Ahmed, stated that the process of chemical decomposition (deterioration) begins when effective substances in medicines are exposed to high temperatures for long periods of time, where bonds within effective molecules are broken, which leads to weakness or loss of therapeutic effect.

He added that the heat speeds up the reactions of oxidation or water decomposition, especially in liquid or sensitive medications, which negatively affects its drug quality.

He warned that some medications turn into toxic compounds when they are damaged by heat or poor storage, such as anti -tetracycline, liquid antibiotics and intravenous injection solutions.

He explained that there is a difference between the deterioration of the effectiveness of the drug and the change of its chemical properties.

He showed that drug fluids are one of the most sensitive forms of heat, because they contain water or alcohol, which makes them vulnerable to bacterial decomposition or pollution. Also, solutions, creams, ointments, sprays, tablets and capsules coated are affected by heat, damaging or losing their drug properties.

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5 procedures for preserving medicines

Dr. Waheed Ahmed Fayyad has identified five procedures for preserving medicines, including:

Use a refrigerator, or a portable cooling box to save the heat -sensitive medications.

Check the availability of the refrigerator or safe storage at the property.

Avoid leaving medications inside the car or in places exposed to direct sunlight, even for short periods.

Keep the medications inside their original packages.

Take a sufficient amount of medicine, and ask for advice on the conditions of memorization during the trip.

• 5 procedures necessary to move in medicines while traveling and summer trips.