Medicine Storage Ideas

No matter what, it somehow seems your medicine cabinet always ends up in disarray. Maybe you have a bad habit of holding on to old prescriptions from years ago or forgetting to throw away empty medicine bottles. Whatever it is, our medicine organization ideas can bring order to even the messiest medicine cabinets. We’re excited to share them with you!

In our guide below, we cover all things medicine storage. First, we go over ways to prepare your medicine supply, and then we offer our favorite medicine storage ideas. Whether you’re looking to sort through your current medicine space or find a new and improved way of maintaining your meds, we’re here to help.

Ways to Prepare for Proper Medicine Storage

Before getting into our tried-and-true medicine storage ideas, let’s discuss how to organize medicine and prepare it for storage. Follow these seven simple steps to ensure your meds are all set for their new home in storage.

1. Run Inventory

   If you’re wondering how to organize medications, the first step is to see what you have in your supply. Chances are, you have a wide range of meds you no longer need. You might find prescription allergy meds you don’t take anymore or pain pills you received after getting your wisdom teeth pulled. You also probably have a few expired medications on hand. There’s no use keeping this old medicine, so be sure to set it aside to dispose of later (see step #2).

While you’re doing an inventory of your medicine supply, you might realize you’ve run out of Tylenol, or perhaps you’re low on cough syrup, so make a note of the medicines you need to replenish. Also, remember to restock any meds you tossed because they’d already expired. Think about the kinds of medication you may need over the course of the year, from mild pain pills to anti-nausea meds.

2. Properly Dispose of Old Medication

   If you have meds you no longer need, don’t just toss them away with the rest of your trash. They could be potentially harmful to the environment or fall into the wrong hands.

   Instead, drop your expired or unused medication off at a drug take-back site, as this is one of the easiest and safest ways of disposing of them. If that’s not an option for you, consult the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website to see which medications are approved for flushing down the toilet. If they’re not on the approved flush list, follow the FDA’s guidelines, which advise you to mix your medicines in with an unappealing substance, such as kitty litter or dirt, before tossing them. While you’re at it, be sure to remove any of your personal information from the labels on the bottles before recycling them.

3. Categorize Your Meds

   Once you’ve sorted through your medications, we recommend categorizing them to help with organization. How you categorize them will depend on your personal preferences. For instance, you may want to separate your meds by prescription, keeping all of yours grouped together in one pile and your partner’s in a separate pile. Alternatively, you might decide to sort by type, with cold and flu meds in one area and pain and allergy relief in another. Organizing your medicines this way will make it easier when it comes time to put them in your medicine storage space.

4. Keep Medicine Out of Reach of Children and Pets

   If you have children or pets in your home, you’ll want to find a storage place that is safely out of reach. This might mean storing your meds high up on a shelf or keeping them in a locked cabinet. You can even purchase a medicine lock box designed specifically for this purpose. And finally, consider putting childproof caps and lids on all bottles to keep out curious kids and animals.

5. Monitor Expiration Dates

   Now that you know your medicine stock is up to date, be sure to monitor the shelf life of your meds throughout the year. Instead of having to read the fine print every time, we suggest writing the expiration date in big letters somewhere on the container. Doing so will make it easier to monitor when your meds are expiring so that you can order new ones before that happens.

6. Find an Appropriate Storage Space

   Most medicines do best in a dry, dark space away from direct sunlight and fluctuating temperatures. If you’re looking for medicine storage in your home, look into storing your medicine in the medicine cabinet in your bathroom, the pantry in your kitchen, or the linen closet in your hallway.

   However, depending on the kinds of medications you’re storing, you may need to store some of them in the fridge to keep them at a certain temperature. If this is the case for you, clear an area in your fridge that’s easily accessible and designate it as your medicine storage space.

7. Consider Climate-Controlled Storage

   In some cases, you might find yourself temporarily needing to place your medicine in a storage unit, such as if your house is under renovation or you’re in the middle of a big move. If you go this route, it’s best to select a climate-controlled storage unit because some medicines are sensitive to extreme temperatures, causing them to degrade. Climate-controlled units maintain a specific temperature range and humidity level, which can help preserve your medication.

Medicine Organization Ideas

Now that you’ve organized your medicine supply and found an appropriate place to keep it, it’s time to find the perfect medicine storage solution for your home.

Lazy Susan

The lazy Susan is a tried-and-true medicine storage idea. These rotating trays make it simple to spin around your collection to see what you have. Since you’ve already organized your meds, you can designate one lazy Susan to each group of medicine. You can find these turntable-style storage compartments in all different sizes, so they’re certain to fit in any kind of storage space.

Baskets and Bins

Whether you select decorative wicker baskets or simple plastic bins, it’s easy to transform them into medicine storage compartments. You can arrange them on a shelf in your closet or place them in a row under your bathroom sink, making it easier than ever to access your meds when you need them. For added convenience, apply labels to the outside to identify what medicines are stored in each receptacle.

Plastic Storage Containers

Plastic storage containers are another easy way to keep your meds organized. For example, you can place all your antibiotics in one bin and your prescription meds in another. If you select clear ones, you can easily see what’s inside, but you can also place labels on the outside to keep yourself from opening each lid until you find what you were searching for.

Storage Drawers

Similar to plastic storage containers, storage drawers make quick work of organizing your medicines. Because they come in all sizes, you’ll have no trouble finding one that accommodates your specific needs. Some are even stackable, allowing you to create a perfectly compact space for everything from antacids to throat lozenges.

Spice Racks

Believe it or not, spice racks make great medicine storage solutions! You can line up your meds on a rack the same way you’d line up your spices. This option makes it a piece of cake to see what you have and what you need to restock.

Plastic Risers

If you like to see your medications all neatly lined up, then plastic risers may do the trick for you. With this medicine storage idea, you can conveniently place your bottles in a row, with each level slightly higher than the next, so you can easily scan what’s on each elevated shelf.

Tackle Box

Tackle boxes make great storage spaces, especially for small items like medicine. What’s more, this is a prime solution if you’re looking to take your meds on the go. For example, maybe you need your medications on hand while vacationing or moving across the country. This portable option features convenient storage spaces that let you keep everything sorted in special slots.

Drawer Dividers

Placing your medication in a drawer is another simple medicine storage solution, but it is susceptible to quickly getting disorganized. To help keep your medicine orderly, use drawer dividers to separate and organize your meds. The only drawback to this option is that it’s more accessible to children, so you may want to place a childproof drawer lock on it for extra security.

Turn to Stor-It for All Your Storing Needs

Whether you’re looking for medication storage ideas or want to declutter your home, downsize, or find a place for overflow items, Stor-It is here to help. Since we’re the largest and oldest storage facility in Idaho, we know storage like the back of our hands. Whatever you need help with, we’re eager to assist you. We have more than 16 storage locations in the Treasure Valley with facilities in Boise, Nampa, Meridian, and beyond, so you’re sure to find a storage solution right in your backyard. Contact us today to learn more about our storage units.