Choosing To Move

Getting Ready To Move? Tips For Packing And Moving Your Medications

26 May 2016 by Adam Johnson

As you prepare to move, one of the things that you will need to relocate are your medications. Here are a few tips that will help make the process of moving your medications to your new home an easy process.

Purge Any Medications That Are Old or Expired

If you haven't had the time to go through your medication cabinet, you may have old medications that you don't use or that are expired. As you prepare to move, it is a good idea to discard these items so you aren't packing and moving items that you don't need. However, it is important that you don't simply throw the old medications away. They can get into the hands of addicts, animals, or children who may take them and overdose. Follow these steps to properly dispose of your unwanted medications:

1. Find a medicine take-back program. This may be a doctor's office, pharmacy or a DEA-authorized collector. These individuals can take your old prescription and non-prescription medications and safely dispose of them. If you can't locate a take-back program in your area, proceed to the next step.
2. Mix the medications with a substance no one would like to eat, such as cat litter, used coffee grounds, or dirt.
3. Place the mixture in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Discard the mixture in the trash.
5. Scratch off personal information on any prescription bottles or peel off the label before disposing of the empty bottles in your regular trash.

Set Aside Enough Medication To Last You During Your Move

Before you begin packing up your medication, set aside enough of your medication to last you the duration of your move. Be sure to keep in mind that it may take a day or two to find the box your medication is in and unpack it, so you may want to leave out a few extra days' worth. Additionally, take a picture of your pill bottles including the name of your prescriptions and the dosage. If your medication gets lost during transit, it will be much easier to call your doctor or the pharmacy and ask for a replacement when you have the exact information in front of you.

Prepare the Medication to Be Packed

After you have set aside the number of pills you will need, you can begin to prepare your medications to be packed. Open all of your bottles of pills. Fill in any empty space in the bottles with cotton balls. This helps to reduce the movement of the pills during movement so they don't start to crumble. Place any liquid medications in a Ziploc bag so any possible spills are contained. Use bubble wrap to wrap any glass bottles, thermometers or breakable items in your medicine cabinet.

Pack the Medication

The last step is to pack your medication. Pack your medication in the smallest possible box that will fit all of your medication. This minimizes the bottles bouncing around during transport. Line the box with bubble wrap for extra cushioning. Place the medication in the box upright. If needed, lay a piece of bubble wrap over your existing layer of pills to create multiple layers. Once your are done, use packing peanuts or wadded up newspaper in the box to prevent the bottles from shifting. Your pills can break or crumble if they bounce around, so it is important to ensure they are protected to keep them in good condition during the move. If possible, load your medications up last in the moving truck. This ensures they are the last items on and the first items off. This can reduce the amount of time they sit in the heat and make it easier for you to locate them.

Packing for a move can be a lot of work. Learning how to properly pack your items can help ensure that items arrive at your home in the same location they left in. If you don't feel comfortable packing up items, such as medications, for your move, a local moving service such as Walsh Moving & Storage can assist you. They can help you pack, load and/or transport your belongings.

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