How should I store my medications?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
Cool, dry, dark, and out of children's reach - and not the bathroom cabinet. Shower heat and humidity degrade medicine faster, and the FDA's expiration dating assumes the labeled storage conditions were followed. A bedroom drawer or a high kitchen cabinet away from the stove works for most medications; check the label for refrigeration or light-protection requirements.
What to do
- Move them out of the bathroom. Heat and humidity from showers are the enemy of pill stability.
- Keep original containers. The bottle protects from light and moisture and carries the label and lot number you need in a recall.
- Respect refrigeration labels. Insulin and certain injectables have exact temperature rules - and most should never freeze.
- Lock up anything dangerous. With children or teens in the house, a lockbox for opioids, sedatives, and stimulants is the standard.
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