LUBBOCK, TEXAS, UNITED STATES, June 14, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — In the best of circumstances, managing a treatment regimen for chronic health issues conditions can be difficult, but when the summer temperatures begin climbing, those challenges can become dangerous.
Rebecca Sleeper, Pharm.D., a clinical pharmacist and senior associate dean for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, said there are two things to consider when it comes to medication and heat, the first of which is the effect of excessive heat on the medicine itself.
Heat can magnify the effects of certain medications, especially for seniors, that include increased sun sensitivity, dehydration and reduced heat tolerance.”
“There are some medications that just will not stand up to extremes of temperature, either hot or cold, or extremes of other environmental conditions such as moisture,” Sleeper said. “One thing you want to think about is the storage conditions of the medications themselves so that they don’t degrade or become less effective because they’ve been exposed to extreme conditions such as heat.”
To reduce the chances of heat exposure, Sleeper said medications should not be stored in places such as glove compartments or left inside mailboxes for extended periods of time. When traveling with medications that require temperature control, she suggested using an insulated cooler pack or something similar to maintain a consistent temperature to help the medications preserve their original integrity.
