Store Medicines in Cool, Dry Places During Summer, Experts Warn

Rehana Bukhari

Islamabad: Health experts and pharmacists have urged the public to store all types of medicines in cool, dry places during the summer season, warning that exposure to high temperatures can reduce the effectiveness of medications and potentially endanger lives.

The concern was highlighted during a recent visit by this APP correspondent to a local pharmacy, where the pharmacist emphasized the importance of proper medicine storage—particularly for drugs used to manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

During the visit, the pharmacist shared that several customers had returned medicines, complaining about unexpected side effects or diminished effectiveness. Upon inquiry, it was revealed that many of these medications had been stored in hot environments, such as inside parked vehicles or in homes without proper cooling systems.

This issue was brought into sharper focus when the reporter herself mistakenly left her purchased medicines inside her car for several hours during work. The next day, she noticed a change in their potency and returned to the pharmacy, where the pharmacist explained the risks associated with heat exposure.

“Medicines can become ineffective or even harmful if they are not stored properly, especially in extreme summer temperatures,” the pharmacist explained. “Even a few hours in a hot car can degrade their chemical composition.”

Experts recommend that medicines should always be purchased from licensed, air-conditioned pharmacies and stored at home in a cool, dry place—preferably away from direct sunlight, heat, or humidity.

Pharmacists and healthcare professionals are urging increased public awareness about the risks of improper medicine storage during the summer, emphasizing that even small oversights can have serious health implications.

Proper storage not only preserves the medicine’s effectiveness but also ensures safe and reliable treatment outcomes for patients, especially those managing chronic or life-threatening illnesses.