THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With temperatures rising alarmingly because of heat wave, the potency of common medicines, especially those for lifestyle diseases, has come under serious threat. Doctors say many patients are experiencing fluctuation in blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol levels as the routine medicines that they consume have lost their potency.
But the public is generally unaware of the fact that majority of the commonly used medicines lose their strength above room temperature. Curiously, the room temperature is assumed as below 27 degrees. But this year the average temperature has gone up by 2 degrees celsius compared to previous years.
Hence, the room temperature too has gone up proportionally. According to Dr Jothydev Kesavadev, diabetologist, when the temperature outside a building is 36ºC, the temperature inside a closed room in a building would be much higher and could even go up to 50ºC. In a parked car it could go up considerably to 140 to 160ºF.
“Common medications used for diabetes, high BP and cholesterol need to be stored below 25 to 30ºC. Insulin which is stored inside a fridge may not lose its potency for a few days when it is inside the room. But to be safer, insulin pens and vials need to be stored inside a refrigerator due to unexpected increase in the overall temperature, he added.
The most commonly used medicine for lowering cholesterol levels, BP and diabetes have to be stored at a temperatures below 25 to 30ºC. Many vitamins lose their potency when temperature is above 25ºC.
“On an average, most of the oral medications lose their potency above 32ºC. When we have 34, 38, 40ºC temperature there is great chance of both cheaper and expensive medicines losing their strength,” Dr Jothydev said. So the big question is how to store medicines in such conditions?
Before planning to store them, make sure that you are getting the medicines from the right sources where these are properly stored. If there is an unexpected rise in blood pressure and sugar levels, procure it from other stores. The normal warning on the medicine strip is “keep in cool and dry place.” But oral medicines cannot be stored in refrigerators.
Dr Jothydev suggested the use of room thermometer to locate cool places inside the house. The cabinets inside bedroom or living room, even places close to kitchen, would have ideal temperature for storing medicines. And finally, in the event of blood pressure, cholesterol or sugar levels increasing, the first suspicion should be on medicines which have lost their potency.
