We all know that food can spoil if it’s held at the wrong temperature, making it unsafe for us to eat. But did you know that medications can be negatively affected by temperature as well? However, unlike food (which can spoil faster if held at room temperature), medications need to be kept at a moderate temperature at all times, and that’s important for pharmacies to understand so they can keep their medications safe.
Specifically, the ideal for many medications is between 68° and 77° Fahrenheit, although certain medications require refrigeration. Allowing medication to become either too hot or too cold can lead to degradation and loss of potency over time, and can even cause the medication to have different effects from what’s intended.
This is important for consumers to understand so that they don’t store medications in hot cars or cold garages. But it’s even more important for pharmacies to understand; a pharmacy may have a large inventory of medications in stock, and the last thing a pharmacist wants is to either sell customers damaged medications or be forced to throw away their inventory.
So how can a pharmacy ensure their medications are kept at a temperature that is neither too high nor too low?
First, keep the pharmacy temperature-controlled and well-ventilated as much as possible. Some pharmacies find it useful to keep a backup generator on hand in case the power goes out and air conditioning or heating stops working. Backup generators are especially important for medications that need to be refrigerated.
Second, monitor the space closely, using more than just your own best judgment; medication is too important to just give it your best guess. Invest in a temperature data logger, such as the MadgeTech RFRHTEMP2000A, which constantly monitors both the temperature and humidity of the space it’s in and will wirelessly send alerts via e-mail or text when the conditions of a room stray out of a certain range. Because this data logger is fully customizable, you can set this range yourself to perfectly match the range of temperatures you’ve determined to be best for your pharmacy. Then you can rest easy knowing that no matter where you are, you’ll receive an alert if temperatures in your pharmacy have gotten too high or too low.
For more information on how MadgeTech temperature data loggers could help you keep your pharmacy temperature controlled, contact our team of specialists
Visit our website:
www.logicbus.com
sales@logicbus.com | support@logicbus.com | +1 619 616 7350 | Start conversation