How to store medication in humid environments

[SaltyCapeSailor]

Hello fellow cruisers,

Wondering if anyone has recommendations for how to store medications (specifically in tablet form) so that they don't crumble in humid environments?

I recently had luck with placing my pill-minder in a baggie filled with rice, but was looking for a less messy way to do that. Wasn't sure if containers of dessicant would be ok - I read somewhere those aren't safe around food?

Thank you in advance for your advice!

[Jammer]

I put them in bags and vacuum seal them with a Tilia Foodsaver, and enclose an appropriate amount of desiccant. Nontoxic desiccant is available in many sizes from many sources. I get the "Dry & Dry" desiccant pouches from Amazon.

[flightlead404]

I have a small Pelican-style plastic case with a gasket. I keep a few desiccant packets in there with the meds.

[desertsailor]

I routinely receive my prescription meds with a container of desiccant included. So far, no problems.

[Chotu]

I’m wondering how long you are storing these things. The bottle they come in from the pharmacy seems to work well for me for three months.

[GreenWave]

Originally Posted by flightlead404

I have a small Pelican-style plastic case with a gasket. I keep a few desiccant packets in there with the meds.

100% this! And keep them in the coolest part of your boat

[JPA Cate]

Any airtight container will do. Keep the meds in as cool a place as there is, too. If the container leaks liquid when turned on it's side, or upside down, it won't be airtight. The kinds that clamp down on a gasket work well for a long time. Use a dental pic to pull out the gasket (get a broken one with one good end from your dentist or his/her buddy), and boil it for a few minutes. It may lose its set and seal again--or not; they vary.

Ann


Ann

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by SaltyCapeSailor

Hello fellow cruisers,

Wondering if anyone has recommendations for how to store medications (specifically in tablet form) so that they don't crumble in humid environments?

I recently had luck with placing my pill-minder in a baggie filled with rice, but was looking for a less messy way to do that. Wasn't sure if containers of dessicant would be ok - I read somewhere those aren't safe around food?

Thank you in advance for your advice!

Desiccants or often packaged with food to preserve freshness. For example, jerky often has desiccant packets in the back in direct contact with the jerky itself.

Having some desiccant packets in the plastic bag in place of rice would work much better than rice (which is largely a myth anyway) and is perfectly safe.

[Pegu Club]

Originally Posted by SaltyCapeSailor

Hello fellow cruisers,

Wondering if anyone has recommendations for how to store medications (specifically in tablet form) so that they don't crumble in humid environments?

I recently had luck with placing my pill-minder in a baggie filled with rice, but was looking for a less messy way to do that. Wasn't sure if containers of dessicant would be ok - I read somewhere those aren't safe around food?

Thank you in advance for your advice!

I have been full time cruising for five years, I take four pills daily, one which is critical to staying alive. I keep my supply of pills in their original containers, kept in zip lock plastic bags with desiccant packs in the bags. I put my daily pill container in its own zip lock with desiccant packs. This works very well, I have never had an issue wit tablets breaking down, hope this helps you,

Fair winds.

[aqfishing]

If you leave it in the blister pack that the pills come in, surely that will suffice till they expire?

Obviously you would want to store them in another sealed container of some sorts in a cool dry place. This would be more to protect the blister packs from damage.

[GordMay]

I used a use a silica gel desiccant, packaged with Tyvek.

Silica gel is a type of highly active absorption material, which is non-toxic*, non-corrosive, non-contaminate, non-deliquescent, and tasteless. It complies with US FDA 21cfr 177.1520 test standard, and is safe to get in direct contact with food, drugs, and nutraceutical products.

Tyvek is made of PE, and is non-toxic, and odorless, while also having strong chemical stability, and it complies with US FDA 21cfr 177.1520 test standard.

* However, in some rare instances, manufacturers coat silica gel in cobalt chloride, a toxic compound. Eating cobalt chloride-coated silica gel will likely cause nausea and vomiting. Cobalt chloride is a moisture indicator, that is dark blue when dry, and pink when saturated with water. Cobalt chloride-coated silica gel isn’t usually used for consumer products.

[s/v Jedi]

In the prescription compartment of a Pelican EMS case.

[GordMay]

Silica gel is a desiccant, that is made from amorphous silicon dioxide, a natural compound, found in sand and quartz. The chemical formula for silica gel is SiO2, where "SiO2" represents the chemical formula for silicon dioxide (also known as silica).

It has several characteristics that distinguish it from other types of desiccants, including:

- High adsorption capacity: Silica gel is known for its high adsorption capacity, meaning it can adsorb and hold onto moisture more effectively than many other desiccants. This makes it a popular choice in applications where high humidity levels are a concern.

- Non-corrosive: Unlike some other desiccants, such as calcium chloride, silica gel is non-corrosive and will not damage or degrade the materials it comes into contact with.

- Non-toxic: White [transparent or translucent, when dry], non-indicating silica gel is also non-toxic, making it safe for use with some foods and pharmaceutical applications.
However, this is not true of blue [or orange] indicating silica gel.

- Regenerable: Silica gel can be regenerated for reuse, by heating it, to remove the moisture it has adsorbed.
This is usually done by heating, in a conventional oven, at a temperature of 60°C [140°F] for six to seven hours, or 120°C [250°F] for one to two hour, to recharge it.
Overheating Silica Gel, [to ±200°C] will destroy the fine internal structures, that suck up moisture.
Allow the Silica Gel to cool, inside the oven, and quickly return it to a sealed airtight container.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

In the prescription compartment of a Pelican EMS case.

So proper and perfect.

For a laugh, let’s take a look at my setup.

Pardon how dirty everything is. I’m on a 1500 mile trip. Motoring at a lovely 6 kn so it’s been a while in here.

The first picture is my heart medication. They give it to me in three months quantities. I keep it in a paper bag to block more light. That paper bag is three months old so it is pretty much a paper sheet at this point ha ha There is nothing special about the humidity with them. The containers they came in keep them perfectly dry for 3 months.

The next picture is the medical kit. This one actually has a lot of good stuff.

Sphygmomanometer/pulse, thermometer, Blood O2 level indicator/pulse, burn gel, wound care (large and small), antihistamines, epipens, pain killers (non-opioid), Bleed stop powder, etc.

Enough to do basic field medical care and determine if more advanced help is needed.

[s/v Jedi]

The contents of my kit are mostly straight from the pro version of this: https://mymedic.com/products/myfak-l...39348835614816

I added more of their individual “mods” from what we experienced to use more.

What I like especially is that items are all separately packed in a sealed bag as handy “mods” that have everything you need for a task.

Edit: wait for a sale for big discount