Everyday goods such as toilet paper, pasta and canned foods are being stockpiled by people across the country amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. But, as the outbreak spreads further, should you stock up on medications too?
According to experts, you shouldn’t buy more than you need. NPS MedicineWise recently issued advice which states that having much more than a month’s supply of medicines isn’t necessary and may have serious consequences.
“Medicines play an important role in treating conditions and diseases. They help people to manage long-term conditions and to manage symptoms of short-term illnesses,” NPS MedicineWise says.
“However, there is no need to stockpile large quantities of medicines you or your family take. Having much more than a month’s supply of medicines is generally not necessary and comes with extra costs and medicine safety risks.”
For example, NPS MedicineWise warns the medicines you stockpile now, you may not need later and they may then go to waste. Not to mention medicines expire. “If you keep too many at home, they may sit in your cupboard for a long time, and before you know it, they may have passed their expiry date.”
The health organisation reckons having multiple packets at home containing the same medicine may also cause confusion and make it more likely to accidentally double dose on medicine, which can be harmful. Meanwhile, having more medicines in the house increases the risk of them falling into the wrong hands.
“A child or pet may accidentally take them and have unwanted or dangerous side effects,” they advise.
On the other hand, buying extra medicines can involve extra financial costs.
The advice comes after the Department of Health looked into the effectiveness of masks to protect against coronavirus. They found there’s little evidence to show that widespread use of the masks among healthy people prevents the transmission of the virus.
However, if you’re in self-isolation after returning from mainland China, or have been in contact with someone who has been confirmed to have the virus, then a mask is beneficial. In this case, the department recommends wearing a surgical mask whenever you’re in public areas, if you’re visiting a medical facility, or if you’re experiencing symptoms and are around others. The same advice is given to those who have a suspected or confirmed case of coronavirus.
Meanwhile, the federal health department also suggested adopting proper handwashing techniques. They said you should wash your hands frequently with soap and water, before and after eating and after going to the toilet, cover your cough and sneeze, dispose of tissues and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser. If you’re unwell, you must also avoid contact with others such as touching, kissing and hugging.
IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.