Moving can be hectic and sometimes little things like moving your medicine cabinet can fall to the wayside. If you're someone that relies on medications for your quality of life, it pays to be as prepared as possible in the event of your move. Packing your medications securely will ensure they make it to your new home intact. Whether you're doing it on your own or with the help of movers, here are some tips.
Packing The Basics
Your first step should be to set aside your daily medications and pack those separately from all the rest. You want these to be handy, so place them in a bag or box you plan to keep with you while moving.
The remainder of your medications should go in boxes if they aren't temperature sensitive. Medicine bottles don't tend to be very large, so photo boxes and other scrapbooking storage containers work perfectly to pack them. With the average pill bottle, there will still be a little bit of headroom in the box, so use crumpled paper to fill in any empty spaces. This paper will make sure that your medications aren't bouncing around the box going down the road.
If you have any liquid medications, tape their lids closed and place them in individual plastic bags. This will keep your liquid medications from opening in the hustle and bustle of moving and keep them from contaminating your other medications if one should leak.
Disposing of Unwanted Medications
It happens to everyone, you push a few things back to the back of your medicine cabinet and they expire. In most cases, it isn't safe to dispose of expired medications down your toilet as they can enter the water system. However, many police stations offer a way to dispose of unwanted or expired medications. The police station will typically incinerate these medications to keep them out of the water supply and dispose of them.
Moving Refrigerated Medications
For medications that require refrigeration, you don't want to have more than your necessary supply before you move. Arrange to have a prescription picked up from your new pharmacy to ease your transition. When it comes to moving your refrigerated medications, place them in a cooler with an ice pack. You don't want the medicines to rest directly on the ice pack, in case it chills them too much. You can also include a refrigerator thermometer in the cooler to ensure your medications are maintaining the proper temperature.
If you have any questions about the safest way to move your medications, ask your movers. They will be able to offer tips and tricks to make sure your medications reach your destination safely.
