Extreme Heat Also Affects On The Effectiveness Of Medicines; What Is The Solution?
Effectiveness Of Medicines: Some medicines tolerate up to 30°C, but in general they should be stored at 15-25°C in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Reuters writes that the world has just experienced the hottest day on record, and prolonged heat waves are becoming more common due to climate change. These conditions change the drugs and the effects they have on the patients.
Effectiveness Of Medicines: How Does Heat Change The Effectiveness And Quality Of Drugs?
Effectiveness Of Medicines, Medicines that are prescribed under normal conditions increase the sensitivity of patients to heat by causing disturbances in the ability to sweat and the speed of blood flow at high temperatures. Heat also increases the risk of spoilage of nearly all medications, including capsules, sprays, pills, and other types of medications, if they are not stored at certain temperature conditions.
The effect of heat on medicines varies according to individual health status, dosage and environmental conditions. Experts say that patients should consult a doctor to adjust the dose or take pills in hot weather, and also keep themselves cool by hydrating the body, using a fan, staying in the shade, and using cooling devices such as air conditioners.
What Drugs Cause More Problems In The Heat?
Heat has different effects on the effectiveness of medications, some of which are listed here.
Blood Pressure And Heart Failure Medications
Effectiveness Of Medicines, By suppressing thirst, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors make it difficult to recognize the need to drink water and increase the risk of dehydration. Calcium channel blockers cause mineral imbalances and make it harder to regulate body temperature, while beta blockers make it harder for the body to sweat and keep cool. Diuretic tablets also cause dehydration and imbalance in minerals.
Anti-allergic Drugs
Some over-the-counter antihistamines reduce sweating and disrupt body temperature regulation.
Psychiatric Drugs
Effectiveness Of Medicines, Some antipsychotic drugs limit the ability of patients to sweat. Some antidepressants have the opposite effect and increase sweating and thirst suppression. Stimulants such as amphetamines and other drugs prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may interact with the body’s central nervous system and raise body temperature.
Thyroid Medications
Thyroid pills also raise body temperature, disrupt body temperature regulation, and cause excessive sweating.
Safe Temperature Range For Drugs
Effectiveness Of Medicines, Extreme heat and extreme cold significantly reduce the effectiveness of prescription and non-prescription drugs. Some medicines tolerate up to 30°C, but in general they should be stored at 15-25°C in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight. Temperature instructions can be found on the drug manufacturer’s website.
Amy Beckrich, a pharmacy faculty member at the University of New Mexico, says it’s difficult to predict how much drugs will spoil at extreme temperatures because each drug is different. In general, if you order drugs through the mail, these drugs should not sit in hot cars or mailboxes for hours.
Effectiveness Of Medicines, A spokesperson for Amazon’s pharmacy says that the company uses strict safety measures for storage and delivery to protect drugs during the transportation process. Other pharmaceutical companies emphasize that they use the utmost care and protection in the transportation of medicines.
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