What is the consensus on packaging of meds? The PSK should have some heavy-duty painkillers & antidiarrhea med, such as loperamide (Immodium). I am checking out packaging options.

Putting them in a vial saves space. It exposes the entire supply when you open the container to get one dose out. There is the possibility that all your supply will be contaminated by rain, humidity, etc. or loss by spilling.

Individual doses eliminate those problems, but are bulkier. How reliable is the press-through pack that some meds come in? I have had problems with the press through where the pill either got stuck or popped out, going in an unexpected direction. I can picture myself trying to press the pill out of the package, trying to catch it in my hand, and dropping it ( in the woods, not on my kitchen floor). How to individually pkg meds that only come in a bottle? Would using a seal-a-meal type vacuum sealer be good idea? This would involve a lot of excess plastic. Ideas?

I've thought about this question also.

I carry some pills loose in capsules, but most of the meds I EDC are in their original sample packaging. It keeps out moisture and makes it far easier to identify pills under stress. In the event that you wanted to give someone medicine, they are far more likely to be comfortable taking a labeled package, rather than having you fumble with anonymous pills in your hands and potentially giving them the wrong one. There are tradeoffs either way, but I'm okay wasting some space for the extra clarity.

By the way, I've ordered a bunch of sample-sized meds from http://minimus.biz/ and have been very happy with their service.

I use different means. I keep aspirin, tylenol and Ibuprofren all in one film canister (easy to recognize/distinguish). Immodium in blister foil packs. Prescription anithistamine in individual foil blister pack. Pepto bismol tablets in plastic blister pack. I also keep some antibiotic cream, some hand lotion, and some campho phenique in my first aid kit. I don't have much use for bandaids, but do carry a few of those.

I've not had any sort of problems with either blister packed meds or keeping them in my film canister. I've packed em like that for many years now.

For prescription meds I often can get physician samples in blister packs. I can cut down the excess material. Seems to work o.k.

For medications I pack myself, I have used my foodsaver vacuum packer. Works fine, and you can trim away excess plastic. Problem is what to do with remaining meds. once opened. Rolling the bag up isn't a very secure option.

Now I most often use some small centrifuge vials I got at a lab supply company. They're polycarbonate, with a screw top, and look like tiny test tubes. I put a piece of clear tape on the vial and label with a waterproof marker.

One advantage of individually packaged or travel size packages of meds versus self-packaging is that the expiration date is on each package. Even under ideal storage conditions, meds can lose their effectiveness over time. In an emergency, if you need them, you need them. Don't shortchange yourself by getting caught with expired meds.

Another advantage is that dosing information is also printed on the packaging, if you can't quite remember.

I only carry aspirin, Immodium, Benadryl, Ibuprophen, and Pepcid AC in my WSK. I repacked them all together in a waterproof vial with a label describing what they are by color. Evidently studies have been conducted which show that the shelf life of prescription and OTC meds are sometimes grossly underestimated by the manufacturer (I wonder why? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />) Mention of these studies are made here:

SLEP

In short, assuming my OTC meds are kept clean and dry, I'm not going to worry too much about expiration dates from now on. I'll probably check them every year and replace them every 3 years or so. Of course, if I had to carry any prescription meds I might be a bit more vigilant than that.

Regards, Vince

I know that the manufacturer Underestimates the date for expiration.....I just don't know exactly HOW much. I know that several people (who were trustworthy sources of info to ME) have used Rx that were over one year passed their Exp dates. They describe the Rx being effective. Didn't get into the specifics of temp, quality of packaging, storage of or how the Rx looked when they used it though. I had assumed that it had been still in its sealed package and not growing anything. Depending on the medicine and my need for it....I may use it if the Risk/Benefit ratio was more B than R.

I have been keeping a small printout of the prescriptions (including dates and refill info) in my kit.

I always carry about a five day supply of the scripts under any circumstances.

I have family on the Gulf coast and am watching the news very closely. Yesterday, they mentioned that a lot of medical information was lost in the New Orleans area flooding, and people are having a difficult time getting needed medications and treatment.

One question: Does anyone here know if national type pharmacies, such as Walgreens, keep your prescription information that can be accessed through any of their stores?

I inquired about this shortly after Katrina: Walgreens' computer system does allow access to your prescription and insurance information at any of their locations. Likewise, you can order prescriptions through their website, which can access your records.

Though not an issue for me personally, the young lady I spoke with cautioned me to confirm that my prescription insurance would provide coverage across state lines.

Stands to reason, too, that it would be wise to avoid getting to the end of a "number of refills limit" on a crucial/recurring prescription.

Assume other national chains offer comparable access to records.

The drug companies are conservative with expiration dates since they can be sued because one of their products did not perform as advertised and because of FDA regulations. Reaching the expiration date doesn't mean the meds become completely useless after that date. That's just the date that the company is comfortable claiming that the product is still stable and fully potent. Drug companies spend a LOT of money doing stability/potency testing of their products. Samples are taken from each manufacturing batch and monitored over time so that unusual degradation in a batch can be detected. Some samples are kept under ideal conditions and others under more adverse conditions.

Some medications, particularly prescription meds, need to perform in a predictable way otherwise they could be dangerous. E.g. an old heart medication tablet could dissolve faster than expected in your body and give you more medication than is safe. Or the pill could "harden" with age and not give you enough of a dose in the expected time frame.

In general, a med will likely still be "good enough" past that date, but as CJK points out, you have no idea what changes have occurred after the expiration. Is one year past OK? Two years? Three? While it may be cost effective for a large hospital chain or the VA to test their med supplies for potency past the expiration date, regular Joe's like us don't have that luxury.