A cold rarely waits for a convenient moment, and the last thing anyone wants at 10pm with a fever is an empty drawer. Setting up a winter medicine cabinet before the cold season peaks means the basics are already at home when someone in the house gets sick. This article lists what is worth keeping on hand, what to clear out, how to store medicines safely and which products need extra care for children. Your Community Pharmacy in Newport can help you choose products that suit your household and the medicines you already take.
Key Takeaways
- Check expiry dates before winter and take out-of-date medicines to a pharmacy for safe disposal.
- Pain relief, a thermometer and a few cold and sore throat products cover most mild winter illness.
- Cough and cold medicines are not for children under 6, and children’s doses depend on age and weight.
- Store medicines as the pack directs and keep them locked away from children.
- A yearly flu vaccine belongs on the winter list alongside the medicine cabinet.
Start your winter medicine cabinet with a clear-out
Before you restock your winter medicine cabinet, take everything out and check the dates. Healthdirect says every pack must show an expiry date, and you should not keep unused medicines past it. The date can hide under a label, on a bottle lid or at the crimped end of a cream tube.
Some items run out faster than the printed date suggests. Eye drops should be thrown out 28 days after opening, for example. Return expired medicines to a pharmacy so they can be destroyed safely, rather than putting them in the rubbish bin or down the toilet, both of which harm the environment.
While you are sorting, set aside any leftover prescription medicines. A course of antibiotics from last year is not a cold remedy, and keeping old scripts in the drawer makes mix-ups more likely.
The best time to stock a medicine cabinet is before anyone in the house is sick.
Pain and fever relief
Most households lean on two medicines in winter: paracetamol and ibuprofen. Both ease aches, sore throats and fever, but they do not suit everyone. Check with the pharmacist if you take regular medicines or live with a long-term condition.
Alongside them, keep a reliable digital thermometer. A reading tells you far more than a hand on the forehead, and it helps a GP or pharmacist judge how unwell someone is. If your regular medicines have grown into a long list, a medication review can check how cold and flu products sit alongside them.
Not sure which products suit your household? Ask the pharmacist in store for help with your winter list.
Cough, cold and sore throat products
A small selection covers the symptoms that tend to arrive together in winter:
- Lozenges and throat sprays: soothe a raw throat for a short time
- Saline spray or rinse: clears a blocked nose without a medicine
- Decongestant nasal spray: eases a stuffy nose, used only for as long as the pack directs
- Tissues and sanitiser: help keep a cold from spreading through the house
Cough mixtures are worth thinking about before you buy. Healthdirect notes there is not much evidence that they help a cough clear up sooner, although they may ease some symptoms. Warm drinks and honey are a gentler place to start, although honey is not for babies under 12 months. If a scratchy throat drags on, see our article on sore throat relief; sneezing that never turns into a cold may be allergies instead, covered in our post on hay fever.
Rapid tests and other basics
Flu, COVID-19 and colds share many symptoms, so a couple of rapid antigen tests at home help you decide whether to stay away from work, school or older relatives. Some tests detect COVID-19 only, while combination tests also pick up influenza A and B. Ask the team which tests are in stock before you come in.
A few other things are worth adding:
- Oral rehydration sachets, for anyone who struggles to keep fluids down
- Basic first aid items such as adhesive dressings and antiseptic
- A written list of each household member’s regular medicines and allergies
Rashes, insect bites and other small problems that crop up all year are covered in our article on minor ailments.
Extra care for children
Children are where a well-meant cabinet can go wrong. The TGA says cough and cold medicines should not be given to children younger than 6, and children aged 6 to 11 should only have them on the advice of a doctor, pharmacist or nurse practitioner, as healthdirect’s cough guidance explains.
For pain and fever, healthdirect’s guide to medicines for children points out that the right dose depends on a child’s age and weight, and children’s products come in different strengths for different ages. Keep the syringe or measuring cup that comes with each liquid, and never give aspirin to a child under 12 unless a doctor has prescribed it.
Storing medicines safely
A bathroom cupboard is often the worst spot in the house, because heat and steam can spoil medicines before their date. Follow the storage line on each pack: many say below 25°C, some need a dark place and a few belong in the fridge. Keep everything in its original packaging with the instructions, and lock the cabinet or put it up high and out of reach of small children.
Once the cabinet is sorted, restocking can be easier than a trip out while you are unwell. With free local delivery there is no minimum order, so even a single box of tissues and a thermometer can come to you; phone first to confirm your street is covered. Spotted the same product for less somewhere else? Bring in the cheaper price and ask about price matching.
Prevention belongs on the list
No cabinet replaces prevention. Having the flu vaccine each year cuts your risk of influenza and its serious complications, and your age and health may mean a COVID-19 vaccine is due as well. Both are among the walk-in vaccinations available at Your Community Pharmacy, so there is no need to book. If you are wondering what to expect afterwards, read about common flu shot side effects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I keep leftover antibiotics for next winter?
No. Antibiotics are prescribed for a particular infection, and most winter colds are caused by viruses, which antibiotics do not treat. Return leftover or out-of-date antibiotics to a pharmacy.
What if a cold gets worse instead of better?
Home treatment suits mild illness only. Our guide to choosing a pharmacist or GP sets out the warning signs that mean it is time to see a doctor.
Can I ask the pharmacist to check what is already in my cabinet?
Yes. Bring the products in, or a list of them, and the pharmacist can tell you what is safe to keep using with your regular medicines. More answers are collected on our FAQs page.
A medicine cabinet ready for cold season
A good winter medicine cabinet is small: in-date pain relievers, a thermometer, a few cold and throat products, rapid tests and a list of everyone’s regular medicines, all stored cool, dry and out of children’s reach. Clear it out once a year, and add a flu vaccine to the same to-do list.
Visit Your Community Pharmacy in Newport to restock for winter with the pharmacist’s help.