Inventory your medicine cabinet at least once a year:
Take everything out of the
medicine cabinet.
Check expiration dates. Throw out all
outdated medicine. If you're not sure about a certain item, call your pharmacist and ask
what the shelf life is.
If medications are not in original
containers and labeled clearly, through them away. It's dangerous to store medicines in
anything but their original containers. Some medicines come in tinted glass, for example,
because exposure to light may 
cause
them to deteriorate.
Discard old tubes of cream that have become
hardened or cracked. Throw out any liquid medicines that appear cloudy or filmy.
Every medication is a potential poison. If
there are children in the house, keep all medicines and vitamins locked in a high cabinet,
well out of their reach.
Stock a container of syrup of ipecac to
induce vomiting for some poisons.{Note: Call the poison control
center before giving syrup of ipecac.}
HEALTH AT HOME - Your Complete Guide to Symptoms, Solutions, and Self-Care © 1999 by Don R. Powell. American Institute for Preventive Medicine.
Date updated 02/01/99