UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

This is a general question, but mainly to those who are on eye drops post graft. How do you store the drops? When at work, at home etc.

Hi Per,

Well for me...

I keep my FML on the desk at room temperature.

I keep my Xalatan refrigerated at all times.

I have two little bottles of prednisolone, and I keep them both in the fridge.

Andrew

I put the Maxidex in my bag, and when I was taking the Chloramphenical; Id put that in the fridge at work

In the initial days when it was warm; bought a Freeze Block; put it in the Freezer overnite, then put the whole lot in a cooling bag

J

chloramphenicol in the fridge. demamethason, prednisolone and either FML in a bag or coat pocket.

Chloramphenicol in firdge: check
Dexam,ethasone in bag: check
Prednisolone: I was told to keep this refrigerated. Is this unnecesary?

ps good to see Asif is up early, too

Rimexolane, Betagan and Syatane in a handy pouch.

John you mentioned that you keep Xalatan in the fridge......Since getting these last year, I was never told to keep these in the fridge.

Dipesh,

I've been told by more than one pharmacist to keep the Xalatan refrigerated. Then I read the leaflet: "Keep refrigerated until opened".

Surely some mistake? So I play safe and do as the pharmacists suggest.

Some medicines expect to be used within a certain time, eg used within 1 - 2 weeks of opening.

As medicines are made in large batches, they can sit on shelves for a months on end, if left at room temeprature, they would go of in a month or two for example. So to get the best shelf life they are refrigerated while in long term storage.

The tests basically involve breaking a whole batch of medicine into many smaller batches. Each is kept at a specific temperature and humidity and tested usually at initial (within days of manufacture), 4weeks, and then every three months. Testing involves compostion testing, performance and product degradation to name but a few.

From this the best storage conditions are determined. Most manufacturers try and maximise shelf life so that once opened there is little need to keep refrigerated anyfurther because so few patients read the instructions and follow them.

I generally keep opend medicinces in the fridge if they have had to be stored refrigerated before this.

All medicines should have a patient information leaflet, the Pharmacist is obliged to provide this and to ensure you know what you are taking and how to use it. These leaflets also have a customer service line should you have any questions about the medictation such as how best to store it if they instructions appear contradictory.

GarethB wrote:All medicines should have a patient information leaflet, the Pharmacist is obliged to provide this and to ensure you know what you are taking and how to use it. These leaflets also have a customer service line should you have any questions about the medictation such as how best to store it if they instructions appear contradictory.

I have never found a patient information leaflet that was written in a font size that I found easy to read. At least they always used to be printed in black on white, but now they seem to come in grey-on-white, or maybe that's just me getting older.

Andrew