Emergency Preparedness- Medication

There are several important factors to consider.

#1 YOUR OWN PERSONAL DAILY NEEDS
If the doctor has prescribed medication that you are to take. You need to have extra available to take if there was a catastrophe and you were not able to acquire your needed medication.

INCONVENIENCE DOES NOT EQUAL AN EMERGENCY 

We should never feel it is inconvenient to go to the doctor to get a prescription. It is not recommended to self medicate with stuff you have on hand. We are talking preparedness as in there is no help coming or available. Maybe you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, asthma or an allergy, if not counter acted could threaten your life. You need to be prepared with what you need. Build an extra supply for emergencies. My friend was caught in a hurricane and could not get to a pharmacy (it wasn't open anyway due to storm) He was in need of a critical heart medication. Do not find yourself in a similar situation.

#2 WHEN HELP IS NOT ON THE WAY AND WE ARE IN CRISIS
Before taking or administering any medications, remember they are prescribed with certain factors related to the individual: age, health and weight. Also any other medications person is taking that might interact. If you save left over unused medications for preparedness make sure they are in the original bottle with all of the important information on it. * Store medications in a safe place. Someplace where they are not accessible to grandkids, children or guests.

#3 EXPIRATION DATES 
The book the Survival Medicine Handbook by Joseph Alton, M.D. and Amy Alton, A.R.N.P. covers so many important things. I recommend this book. It is a guide for when medical help is not on the way. The topic of expiration dates is covered in this book. It refers to studies that have been done. The studies have been done by; the Food and Drug Administration for the United States Department of Defense; Researchers at the University of California San Francisco School of Pharmacy; US military commissioned a study. The results from these studies can be found:
Wall Street Journal 3/29/00
Archives of Internal Medicine OCT 2010
The Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 95, No. 7, July 2006
http://ofcaems.org/ds-Stability_Profiles.pdf

I advise reading all it has to say. But I do want you to have a summery if it will help inspire you in ways to prepare. Some of the main findings about expiration dates were that pills or capsules last the longest. Liquids tend to lose potency very soon. Especially if stored properly in cool, dark & dry conditions & in nonclear containers pills and capsules are still good 2 – 10 yrs. past date of expiration. Using high-tech methods to measure the amounts 12 of 14 of the active ingredients persisted in concentrations that were 90% or greater of the amount indicated on the label.

“Planning ahead, we must consider all alternatives in the effort to stay healthy in hard times. Don’t ignore any option that can help you achieve that goal, even expired medication. …..” Quote from the book. There are other options along with the pharmaceuticals. Herbs and Essential oils are very helpful and effective with no side effects. Get educated to protect you and your family