Emergency medicines for summer vacation

Here is a list of helpful emergency medicines and medical supplies you should prepare for your summer vacation:

Medicines: antipyretic-analgesics, digestive medicine, antacids, anti-inflammatory agents, skin ointment containing antibiotics, antiseptic agents

Medical supplies: thermometer, dressing sets, plasters, tweezers, scissors for medical purposes, cotton

Also, it is good to have sunscreen agents, Vaseline and other skin ointments for burns.

Antipyretic-analgesics and digestive medicine can be used as an early treatment for minor illness such as fever or indigestion during outdoor activities. And medical supplies like antiseptics, dressing sets and plasters are useful to treat slight wounds.

If you are currently taking or have recently stopped taking phototoxic medications such as tetracyclines or quinolones, it is recommended that you see your doctor in advance of your summer vacation. Because in these cases, a little exposure to sun can cause severe skin burns.

In recent years, the sale of first aid kits in the domestic market has made it easier to prepare household medicines than in the past.

If you are planning to take a vacation overseas, you should thoroughly prepare medicines for internal use, as well as prevention against endemic diseases. As there are cases of malarial death in some countries, the anti-malarial agents should be taken before departure.

It is important to check the expiration date on the drug packaging before use. In general, unopened tablets can last for around 2 years and all must be used within 1 year of opening. Ointments can last for up to 2 years if unopened, but should not be used longer than 6 months after opening.

Check the expiration date of medicines

Medicines past the expiration date can be far less efficacious and also cause side effects. Therefore, it is better to dispose of old medicines and replace them.

If any member of the family has a chronic illness, the medicine for that particular disease must be prepared along with the emergency medications. In addition, all members of the family should know where the specific medicine is placed and how to use it, so that they can deal with an emergency situation.

For example, when people with angina suffer from chest pain, the prepared nitroglycerin should be administered sublingually. And people with asthma should be well informed on how to use the fast-acting inhaled bronchodilator by mouth. 

By Lee Young-mee

The author is the manager of the Department of Pharmacy at Samsung Medical Center.