Medicines Storage Flashcards
Outline why the storage of medicines is important
- Protection from extremes of temperature
- Protection from light
- Protection from moisture
- Protection from damage
- Protection from mishandling
- Security
Outline 3 points extremes of temperature
- Most medicines in the UK do not cause significant concerns as ambient
temperature rarely risks the stability of drugs - Most solid dosage forms are safe to be stored at room temperature
- Most medicines in the UK have a maximum storage temperature of
25°C and some up to 30°C
Outline 3 more points of extermes of temperature
- A small number of medicines require storage below 15°C and most
pharmacies will keep these products in the fridge - A number of medicines require more strict temperature control
between 2°C and 8°C - These medicines require storage in a fridge and strict temperature
monitoring
Outline what might happen if medicines are stored outside of
their safe storage range?
Too cold?
* Risk of freezing
* Precipitation and degradation
Too hot?
* Risk of denaturing is low
* Shortened life span of medicine
Outline storage conditions for extremes of temperature
- Maximum and minimum temperatures over the previous 24 hours
should be recorded daily in fridges used to store medicines between
2°C and 8°C
THIS IS AN NHS contractual requirement - Temperatures should be recorded daily for any ambient medicines
storage areas if there is any concern that the temperature is above
25°C.
Outline Light in medicines storage
- Damage to drugs caused by light is called photodegredation
- This may be caused by daylight or artificial light in pharmacy departments
- The key method for prevention of this loss of quality is to maintain products
in their original packaging - Manufacturers use a variety of methods to protect medicines from
photodegredation including the use of coloured glass containers, opaque or
foil based packaging
Outline moisture in medicines storage
Some dosage forms are affected by moisture which can reduce their
shelf life:
* Suppositories may become soft or jelly like
* Effervescent tablets may deteriorate if they become prematurely
moist
* Some drugs are hygroscopic (they absorb moisture) which causes
their degradation
Outline 4 points of moisture
- Effective measures against moisture for shelf life include proper ventilation of pharmacy
premises and storage in manufactures containers - Drugs contained in glass or plastic bottles/pots may also contain a desiccant
- Some blister packs have built in desiccants within the packaging
- Dosage forms affected by moisture are nearly always foil wrapped or if this is
not possible they will have a foil overwrap
Outline 5 additional points of moisture in a pharmacy
- Pharmacies are designed to facilitate cleaning and prevent moisture build up that
leads to mould - Maintain a clean environment store waste in bins preferably outside and have a
rota for clean floors and shelves. - Do not allow food in the dispensary particularly the fridge.
- Keep the interior of the building as dry as possible.
- Inspect the pharmacy regularly for evidence of pests; ants, cockroaches and mice
are common pest infestations
Outline types of damage in a pharmacy
- Crushing
- Cross contamination
- Transportation Damage
- Rodent and insect infestation
- Mould
Outline mishandling in a pharmacy
- Medicines can be degraded by being handled but is rare now as most medicines come in patient packc
- Handling of medicines most commonly occurs in pharmacy where domicillary
dosing systems are produced. - Handling of medicines can cause contamination due to dirt and oil on the hands or
other medicines - Tablets that are not hard pressed can leave residue on the hands which may be
transferred to other medicines (e.g. dispersible aspirin)
Outline security measures in a pharmacy
- Pharmacy premises are lockable to exclude the public
- Medicines that have a potential street value are kept out of sight of patients
- Access to the dispensary should be strictly controlled with contractors
searched on exiting the dispensary - Regular searches of staff may be appropriate in larger pharmacy businesses
- Some pharmacies keep high value medicines in their CD cupboard or safe
overnight
Outline controlled drugs storage
- Some medicines have additional storage/ security requirements and fo certain controlled drugs this is required by law
- If a controlled drug requires ‘safe custody’ it must be kept in a specific
type of cabinet under secure conditions - The Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973 specify storage
requirements for certain controlled drugs
Outline storage requirements for drugs requiring safe custody
- Be stored in a specified controlled drugs cupboard at all times when
not being used - Must be under the supervision of a pharmacist when they are not
stored in the CD cupboard - The Pharmacist is responsible for the security of the key to the CD
cupboard (usually on their person during opening hours) - The CD key should be stored in a secure place away from the
dispensary overnight, usually a safe.
Outline CD cabinets and associated architecture
- Some premises that handle large quantities of controlled drugs may
have a secure CD room - Cupboards Must be bolted to a floor or internal wall
They cannot be bolted to an external wall
