How to Organize Your Medicine Cabinet
Keeping up with your medicine cabinet. When bottles fall out or pile up, it can be challenging. This guide will show you how to make the most of your medicine cabinet so that your routine becomes a bit easier. Use these tips to improve and organize your medicine cabinet and its contents so everything you need is always within reach.
1. Throw away expired bottles
The best place to start is always to throw away all expired medications. Check each bottle and box for numbers that follow "EXP". If they are out of date, talk to your doctor. You may need a refill or a new prescription.
Taking expired medicines may seem harmless if they are not too old, but it's better to get them refilled. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found that medications become less effective and riskier after their expiration date. Taking medications could cause unintended harm or fail to treat existing conditions.
2. Collect your vitamins
Vitamins can also have a place in your medicine cabinet. You might forget to take them every day if they are deep in a kitchen drawer or bathroom shelf. When you open your medicine cabinet to take your routine prescriptions, you'll see your vitamins waiting for you. When you take them daily, they provide important health benefits, such as boosting your immune system or strengthening your bones. If you keep them with your other medications, you can be sure to enjoy these benefits.
3. Organize on a schedule
Taking your medications can become easier if you organize them according to your schedule. Make the most of your medicine cabinet by grouping your morning, afternoon, and evening medications. Use the shelves in most cabinets or cut pieces of cardboard to divide the groups if you do not have a lot of space. You can also use a label printer or sticky note to label each group with the time you need to take it. Even though you will not see these notes when the cabinet is closed, they will immediately draw your eye to the correct group when you reach for your daily medication.
4. Organize everything alphabetically
Alphabetical order is a skill that works in the office and at home. Arrange your medications so you can find them quickly. If you are not sure how to do this, take a few tips to heart, such as starting with the first letter of each prescription. When a medication runs low, you'll notice the gap in your lineup and be able to quickly request a new pack.
5. Add a lock
Depending on the cabinet you own, you may be able to add a lock. It's important to keep medications away from children and teens. Read up on different locking methods to find out which one is right for your medicine cabinet. This will keep everyone safer and prevent potential medical emergencies.
6. Get organized
Now that you know how to make the most of your medicine cabinet, put these tips to use today. After throwing out old medications and rearranging the ones that remain, you'll be able to clean out your cabinet and know where everything is at a glance.