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Pharmacist storage medicines in a pharmacy

Storage of Medicines in Pharmacies

When it comes to medicines and drugs in pharmacies, you must always keep an eye on correct storage so as not to impair their effectiveness. External influences such as light, humidity or temperature can lead to the release of decomposition substances that affect the efficacy of medicines. Therefore, ensure proper storage of medicines in your pharmacy.

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What must be observed when storing medicines in pharmacies? 

To guarantee safe use of medicines for your patients, quality and efficacy must not be compromised. You can only guarantee this with correct medicine storage according to the respective manufacturer's specifications and the storage regulations for medicines. Therefore, remember to store medicines in a dry place, protected from light and at the temperatures indicated on the packaging. 

Take care to 

Avoid light and moisture

Moisture and the effects of light can have negative consequences on the effectiveness of medicines. Therefore, the safest way to store medicines is in their original packaging, which protects them from both impacts. At the same time, this enables you to keep an eye on the best-before date and avoid confusion with other medicines. 

Use lockable medicine cabinets

Unauthorised persons should not have access to the medicines in your pharmacy. According to the "Guideline on Measures to Secure Narcotics Drug Stocks" of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, certified safes with a resistance grade of I or higher according to EN 1143-1 are, therefore, mandatory for public pharmacies. 

Ensure safe transport

When transporting goods within your pharmacy via a pneumatic tube system, and when delivering goods to your pharmacy, you must also ensure that this is done quickly, safely and without complications. There must be no temperature fluctuations and the cold chain must be maintained for medicines that require refrigeration. 

Maintaining the right temperatures

The temperatures at which the respective medicines must be stored can be found in the manufacturer's instructions on the package leaflet or outer packaging. A distinction is made between medicines that require refrigeration and medicines that can be stored at room temperature. With regard to room temperature, the Pharmacy Operations Regulations (ApBetrO) § 4 para. 2d stipulates that this must be below 25 degrees.

  • Storage at room temperature: 15-25 degrees 
  • Storage in the refrigerator: 2-8 degrees 
  • Frozen storage: -18 degrees or colder 

Automation solutions to support medication storage

Automated dispensing systems are ideal for storing your medicines in public pharmacies because the automation solutions enable safe storage in accordance with the specified storage regulations and can be individually adapted to the respective medicine requirements thanks to their modular and scalable design. 

Automated storage solutions such as TwinTec ensure proper storage of medicines under dry, light-protected conditions.  

Not only is the storage of medicines in pharmacies ensured by an appropriate system, the dispensing of medicines is also controlled.

These are the advantages of using order picking systems for the storage of medicines in pharmacies:

EyoTec pharmacy robot with two cranes
  • Modular and scalable 
  • Storage under dry and light-protected conditions 
  • Controlled drug dispensing 
  • Reduction of dispensing errors  
  • Can be used in a space-saving manner 
  • Increased productivity 
  • More time for consultative activities 
Compact, fully automated and flexible pharmacy robots such as EvoTec can be used in small and medium-sized pharmacies even where space is limited, thus increasing productivity and creating more time for advising your clientele. 
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