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Maintaining the ‘cold chain’ is a matter for patients too!
[mis à jour le 4 September 2008 à 18h04]
While the cold chain is generally well controlled by pharmaceutical distributors, all too often management breaks down at the end of the chain when medicines pass into the hands of the patient. Yet it is essential that the entire process remains completely safe. And it’s not as if refrigeration is unavailable.
We can never be reminded too often that medicines are not like sweets and cannot simply be slipped into our pocket. Particularly when the medicine in question is temperature sensitive. Deterioration of the active principles, microbial proliferation, physical and chemical changes likely to affect the fundamental qualities of the product… any break in the cold chain is a potential threat. For medicines, just as for food in fact! Do your shopping before you go to the pharmacy… certainly not after.
This is even more important with the advent of biomedicines, the transportation and storage of which require far more rigorous controls than those of “traditional” medicines. So we need to be doubly vigilant. Always ask your pharmacist for advice. A small cool bag is ideal for the journey between the dispensary and your home. And a few basic refrigerator rules will help you to avoid any unpleasant surprises: never store your medicines in the fridge door or the vegetable tray as the temperature in those areas is not regulated. But also keep them away from the back wall of the fridge to avoid the risk of freezing. Finally, make sure that your fridge’s door seal is not worn or loose. Even a tiny temperature loss can prove dangerous.
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