Supplies that can save lives
Is stockpiling medications in an effort to be prepared for emergency situations a good idea?
Supplies that can save lives
Is stockpiling medications in an effort to be prepared for emergency situations a good idea?
This article only takes 5 minutes of your time
It isn’t possible for anyone to fully anticipate when an emergency situation will arise. For instance, as many of us are aware of, with the recent Covid-19 pandemic it has become clearer than ever on the importance of being prepared beforehand.Â
As much as having sufficient food at home, it is also important to have necessary medications such as over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, first aid kits along with other medications such as for chronic illness available within your home.
To shine a light on the importance of having medication supplies at home before an emergency situation comes about, we speak to Gopinath Padmanabhan, Pharmacist and Group Managing Director of Truelifesciences Sdn Bhd.
Supplies that can save lives
Is stockpiling medications in an effort to be prepared for emergency situations a good idea?
This article only takes 5 minutes of your time
Gopinath Padmanabhan, Pharmacist and Group Managing Director
It isn’t possible for anyone to fully anticipate when an emergency situation will arise. For instance, as many of us are aware of, with the recent Covid-19 pandemic it has become clearer than ever on the importance of being prepared beforehand.Â
As much as having sufficient food at home, it is also important to have necessary medicationssuch as over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, first aid kits along with other medications such as for chronic illness available within your home.
To shine a light on the importance of having medication supplies at home before an emergency situation comes about, we speak to Gopinath Padmanabhan, Pharmacist and Group Managing Director of Truelifesciences Sdn Bhd.
- Who should be stocking up their medicine cabinets for an emergency?
- Why is it necessary for people to have additional medication supplies?
- With the on-going Covid-19 pandemic, should people panic buy medications?
- Should the public be worried about medication shortages during Covid-19 pandemic?
- In general, what is a safe amount of medicine to stock up on?
- Could you share with us a few tips on how to manage medications at home?
Those who are dealing with chronic illnesses such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, asthma, cancer, kidney disease and glaucoma are some of the illnesses where the continuous consumption of medications are of utmost importance particularly to avoid relapse or exacerbation of the illnesses. These patients must always ensure that they have adequate medications at home.
It is extremely important to have additional medication supplies so that it does not interrupt with your treatments.
A lapse in your medication treatment especially for those dealing with chronic illnesses can lead to major unwanted health issues. Some of the major health conditions are:
- Heart attack among heart patient,Â
- Diabetic coma among diabetic patient,Â
- Blindness among glaucoma patient,Â
- Acute asthmatic attacks among asthma patients,
- And stroke due to uncontrolled hypertension.
One should never panic buy medication. If people start panic buying, there will be a shortage for others who are really in need of the medications. Normally, there should be sufficient supply in the market to last you for a minimum of three to four months for normal stock and higher stock for essential medication with a roll over to ensure continuous supply based on average usage.
However, if a panic buying situation develops, the average usage pattern will change drastically and this will lead to out of stock situations of these essential medications.
At any one time, there should be enough medication to last at least for three months. For most essential medication, the stocks would be at much higher levels. So, there is no need for the public to be worried about the shortages of supply. Even if a particular medication goes out of stock, there are always alternatives to which doctors can prescribe for you.
If you’re on long term medication, it would be a good practice for you to have at least an additional one month of stock as backups. This reserve stock would be very helpful for whatever reasons there are, especially if there’s a delay in getting the refills.
In the public sector, patients are generally given two to three months stock to complement their visits to see their doctors.
Some easy way to manage medications at home include:
- Medicines should properly be labelled and preferably kept in a medicine cabinet.
- Storage conditions are very important to ensure the stability and efficacy of the medication.
- Always check the expiry dates and consume the ones with shorter expiry first.
- If there are any changes in the appearance of the medicines such as discoloration, do not consume it.
- Lastly, medication should be kept out of the reach of children.