Whether it’s a hurricane, snowstorm, flood or power outage, it’s important to be ready for an emergency or natural disaster. In an emergency, you may have to protect your medication from damage or quickly leave your home. You may be displaced or not be able to access your home. If you are taking medications, take these steps to be ready for an emergency:
- Keep an up-to-date list of your medications. Keep this list with your medications. Have a list for everyone in your household, including pets. The list should include:
• The name and strength of the medication
• When and how often you take it (How many times a day do you take it? Do you take it at night or in the morning? Do you take it as needed?)
• Special instructions (Do you take it with food or on an empty stomach? Does it need to be refrigerated?)
• Name of the health care provider who prescribed the medication
• Any allergies to medications or foods - Know how much medication you have on-hand. You should have at least a two-week supply of your medications. This includes over-the-counter medications and specialized health care items like hearing aid batteries, oxygen supply, catheters, eyeglasses, wheelchair batteries, etc.
- Keep a list of medical contacts. Include the name and phone number for each of your health care providers as well as the pharmacy you use.
- Make sure your extra supply is current and has not expired. If you know a major weather event like a hurricane, snowstorm or high winds are expected, try to refill your prescriptions early. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacy about emergency refills if you can’t get to your usual pharmacy.
- Store your medications safely. Keep your medications in their original packaging and store them in a water-tight container. This can be a plastic container with a lid or a waterproof bag. This will protect your medication in case of a flood or water damage.
Other Things to Consider During an Emergency or Natural Disaster
- If your medication needs to be refrigerated or kept cool, have a cooler and ice packs ready. If you lose power for more than two or three hours, any medications kept in your refrigerator should be thrown away. If you need the medication to survive, such as insulin, you can continue to use it until you are able to get a fresh supply.
- If you need to take medication with food, bring non-perishable food items with you, like granola bars or crackers.
- If you are taking medications that are controlled substances, keep them with you at all times.
- Some drugs need to be reconstituted , which means they need to be mixed with water to make them into a liquid. You should only use clean, drinkable water (no other liquids) to reconstitute them. Have purified or bottled water with you for these medications.
Fires and Floods
Medications that have been exposed to high temperatures, like heat from a fire or being left in a car on a hot day, or water from floods are not safe and should be thrown away. Throw them away even if they are in their original containers. If you need these medications to survive, such as insulin, you can continue to use them until you are able to get a fresh supply. Replace exposed medications as soon as possible.