How to organize my medical supplies at home?

If you seldom take medicine, such as maybe an occasional aspirin tablet and if your idea of a medicine chest consists of just a thermometer and a box of band-aids, you don’t really need much in the way of organizational skills to keep things straight.

But if you’re like most adults, especially those with kids, chances are good that you have an enormous amount of medical supplies socked away. 

For example, you have multiple bottles of allergy medicine because you forgot there was plenty at home and decided to stock up. Or, you have children’s flavored cough syrup in a cabinet, but it’s ancient and the lid is crusted to the bottle because all of your kids have grown past needing a sugary bribe to take a spoonful of medication.

Consider that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reminds people to check the expiration date on the labels of all medications every 12 months (such as when you are doing spring cleaning, or to mark the beginning of a new year). Since 1979, the FDA has been requiring manufactures of over-the-counter and prescribed medications to print expiration dates on product labels.

It’s essential to discard all expired medicine, since using them poses a risk and can harm your health, per the FDA.

So in addition to making your living space less cluttered and easier to manage, organizing your medical supplies at home will help you to identify and throw out all medications that have gone past their use date.

Here are some tips to help you get started organizing all your medical supplies. Even if you are super busy, when you set aside a bit of time for this task, you’ll find you have more time going forward, because you’ll be able to locate whatever you need in seconds instead of rummaging around in a crowded medicine cabinet, drawers and other places in your home.

1. Allocate a single shelf, closet, or cabinet to store your main medical supplies

2. Buy plastic storage containers

They enable you to see exactly what’s in storage, so you don’t have to lift up lids, wondering where a product is. This helps you make better use of previously empty space.

3. Discard unneeded product packaging

A big cardboard box holding a small cream is ridiculous to keep around. Strip this marketing stuff away whenever possible.

4. Make an emergency kit

Put duplicate products (bandages, medicines, cleaning supplies, and so on) in a grab-and-go bag for emergencies such as natural disasters requiring evacuation. Bring this kit with you on camping trips or vacations for added peace of mind.

5. Try sorting various medical supplies according to their use, such as wound care, fever management, and allergies

You’ll Feel Better After Organizing Your Medical Supplies and it Will Be Easier to Take Care of People

Getting organized will make you feel calmer and more relaxed. You’ll also feel confident as you cast your eyes on the organized medical supplies that you will be able to meet health situations more readily as they arise in your family.