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Wise Health Care Choices  »  Medications

1. •Take everything out of the medicine cabinet.
   

2. •Check expiration dates. Throw out all outdated medicines. If you’re not sure about a certain item, call your pharmacist. Ask what the shelf life is.
   

3. •Discard old tubes of cream that are hardened or cracked. Throw out any liquid medicines that look cloudy or filmy.
   

4. •If medications are not in original containers and clearly labeled, throw them away. Some medicines come in tinted glass, for example, because exposure to light may cause them to deteriorate.
   

5. •Every medication is a potential poison. Keep all medicines and vitamins locked in a high cabinet, well out children’s reach.
   

Activated charcoal and syrup of ipecac are not advised for home use for swallowed poisons. Call the Poison Control Center at 800.222.1222 for advice.

Basic Supplies to Help with Self-Care

1. •Adhesive bandages, sterile gauze, first-aid tape, and scissors
   

2. •Antibiotic ointment
   

3. •Antiseptic ointment or wipes
   

4. •Eye dropper
   

5. •Heating pad/hot water bottle. Heat pack
   

6. •Humidifier or vaporizer (cool-mist)
   

7. •Ice pack
   

8. •Tweezers
   

9. •Petroleum jelly
   

10. •Rubbing alcohol
    

11. •Sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more
    

12. •Thermometer (digital or ear)
    

13. •Tongue depressor and flashlight

Video

Declutter The Medicine Cabinet by maxwell gillingham-ryan. A short journey into decluttering. If you have a BIG medicine cabinet situation, pace yourself, and otherwise concentrate on simply removing those items that you no longer use and that are expired.