One month's supply of medicines at home
If you are usually prescribed medicines or other medical aids from healthcare professionals, it is a good idea to have enough at home to last you a month. This will help you manage better in the event of crisis or shortage.
The general recommendation for home preparedness is a week's supply of food, for example. But when it comes to prescription medicines for long-term treatment, it’s good to have a full month's supply at home. This is the National Board of Health and Welfare's recommendation for those in long-term treatment.
Just like in your pantry, you need to think about having a routine for rotating your stockpile so that you use the oldest medicines first.
Many already have a good stockpile of medicines, as it was previously possible to pick them up in advance. So, if you already have a month's supply at home, you shouldn’t refill additional doses.
Who does the recommendation apply to?
This recommendation applies if you are taking prescription medicines long-term treatment for conditions such as:
- High blood pressure.
- Heart disease.
- Asthma, COPD and other lung diseases.
- Stomach and intestinal diseases.
- Kidney disease.
- Diabetes.
This recommendation also applies to long-term users of medical aids prescribed by healthcare professionals, such as blood glucose monitoring devices.
Not included in the recommendation
- Over-the counter (OTC) medicines and aids.
- Medicines prescribed for a short-term treatment.
- Medicines or doses that are being trialled and may be subject to change.
- Medicines prescribed for medical reasons, and which may not be refilled until a certain period has elapsed.
- Medicines that are pre-packaged in a bag for each dose, and which may require that several medicines to be taken simultaneously.
- Prescribed food.
Some prescription medicines may not be picked up a month in advance, in which case the recommendation does not apply. This applies to, for instance, some is the case, for example, certain narcotic drugs.
It may be difficult to stockpile a month's supply at home for other reasons, as well. Items may be temporarily out of stock or difficult to store at home; for example, if they take up a lot of space, need to be stored in a refrigerator or are flammable. In such cases, it’s better to be as prepared as possible rather than not at all.
This recommendation applies to the foreseeable future. Although Sweden is not experiencing any general shortages of medicines or medical aids, it is important to improve your home preparedness so that everyone is better prepared if shortages do occur.