Most of us have allowed our bathroom cupboards to become cluttered with useless and out-of-date drugs and devices. Here’s what you should have to hand

A&E is full to bursting, GPs are stretched to breaking point – there has never been a better time to treat ourselves. But, when you are unwell, the symptoms are usually at their worst in the middle of the night – and that is when you discover that your so-called medicine cabinet is woefully understocked. It’s the equivalent of opening the fridge when you are starving and finding nothing but a row of mouldy condiments. So what’s worth keeping, chucking and buying?

Save money

It’s certainly cheaper for the public purse if you self-treat. According to the Proprietary Association of Great Britain – a trade association that represents UK manufacturers of branded over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, self-care medical devices and food supplements – there have been more than 285m GP consultations and more than 10bn A&E visits for self-treatable conditions in the past five years. These have cost the NHS more than £10bn. “However, if people had sought advice from a pharmacist in the first instance, they could have effectively treated these conditions themselves, saving them both time and hassle. Self–care typically costs a person less than £3.50, but the cost incurred by the NHS is about £112 for each A&E treatment and £43 for a quick consult with a GP.”

Of course, it goes without saying that if you are really concerned about your – or your child’s – condition you should visit your GP, or, if you are extremely worried, your local A&E department.

Spring clean

The first step is to get a wall-mounted, child-proof, lockable medicine cabinet – costing from around £12. The next step is to chuck out any drug that is unidentifiable, past its expiry date or is now redundant – including contraceptive pills if you are pregnant and iron pills if you are no longer anaemic. OTC and prescribed drugs are frequent causes of overdose in young children. It is probably best to keep routine prescription medicines in a separate place so there is less scope for mistakes. OTC drugs should be stored in their original packaging at normal room temperature and humidity.

Build a capsule cabinet

Thermometer A Which? report says that digital ear thermometers have largely replaced the old glass-and-mercury ones that were always hard to read, fragile and slow. Strip-type forehead thermometers aren’t recommended as they may not be accurate. Digital infrared no-contact thermometers are an option, too. Pointed at the forehead, they give a quick reading and can be used on small babies whose ears are too small for an ear thermometer.

Blood pressure monitor Home blood-pressure monitors are now cheap and accurate. If you feel faint or light-headed, suffer from headaches, suspect your blood pressure rises artificially when you are at the GP, or have a strong family history of high blood pressure, you can check and record serial readings at home and discuss the figures with your GP.

Peak-flow meter Anyone with asthma should have a peak-flow meter at home. It measures how effectively you can breathe out, and how severe the asthma is. Another useful gadget for anyone with breathing difficulty is a pulse oximeter that clips on to your finger and measures how much oxygen is getting around your body. Readings under 90% require medical attention.

Contact numbers The door of the cabinet is a good place to keep a note of key phone numbers; the GP surgery, an out-of-hours contact number, your local pharmacist (all numbers available on the NHS Choices website) and a reminder to dial 111 for non-emergencies and 999 for life-threatening situations.

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) chart A simple chart showing what to do if someone collapses and stops breathing is useful in an emergency. It is no substitute for going on a hands-on course but is a good reminder, and worth sticking on the door alongside the contact numbers.

Painkiller/treatment for fever Ibuprofen is often better for treating pain than paracetamol, and just as effective in bringing down a fever. Both are suitable for children and adults – in appropriate doses. Ibuprofen is best taken after food to avoid indigestion, although all oral drugs work more quickly if taken on an empty stomach. The usual caveats apply; seek medical help if pain or fever don’t settle, avoid ibuprofen if you have contraindications (medical reasons not to take it), such as a past gastric ulcer, and check it doesn’t interact with medication, foods or supplements you are taking. It is cheaper and safer to buy unadulterated paracetamol or ibuprofen rather than combination preparations.

Allergy treatment Antihistamines are an essential part of any medical cabinet. Cetirizine won’t make you drowsy, while chlorphenamine (Piriton) makes you sleepy. Shop around; one supermarket sells the same medication for either 9p or 38p a tablet depending on the size and type of packaging. For those with a prescription, it’s also worth keeping a spare blue asthma inhaler (Ventolin) in case an allergy triggers wheezing and shortness of breath.

Indigestion treatment Acid reflux causes an unpleasant burning in the chest, especially after eating. It is often worse when you lie down. A slug of an antacid, such as Gaviscon, to neutralise the acid, can work wonders. The caveat here is that severe chest pain can also herald a heart attack – if you belch and the pain goes away, it’s probably acid. If you are sweating and short of breath, it could be your heart, and you should seek urgent advice.

First-aid kit It is impossible to anticipate all eventualities, so this is my personal advice on what else to stock: some clingfilm to cover burns and scalds (after cooling the affected area with lukewarm running water); antiseptic wipes to clean dirty cuts; steri-strips to hold together gaping edges of a wound; Mepore self-adhesive dressings to cover scabs or open sores; Sudocrem as an antiseptic cream for infected spots; Golden Eye drops for sticky eyes (conjunctivitis) and tweezers for splinters.

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