Safe Drug Use After a Natural Disaster
Information on the use of drugs (medicines) affected by fire, flooding, unsafe water, or power outages
Before a Natural Disaster
An emergency plan is especially important if you have health concerns, particularly if the power goes out. Taking precautions for storing medicines and supplies is key to being prepared. You should:
- Keep an up-to-date list of your medicines, including the name and strength of each medicine, what it is for, how much you take and when. Include your medical conditions, medical supply needs, and allergies.
- Keep a copy of your prescriptions with your emergency supplies.
- Know how much medicine you have on hand. If you expect your access to a pharmacy to be disrupted, obtain early refills. Talk with your pharmacist or health care provider about maintaining an emergency supply and learn about your state's emergency refill laws.
- Place medicine bottles or packages in watertight containers (such as plastic containers with lids) and store them where they are unlikely to be reached by floodwater if there is a possibility of flooding or other water damage.
- Have a plan for keeping medicines that require refrigeration cold during a power outage. Have a cooler and ice or frozen gel packs available, if needed, and follow the medicine's labeled storage instructions.
After a Natural Disaster
The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) at FDA offers the following information on the use of medicines that may be affected by fire, flooding, or unsafe water, and on the use of temperature-sensitive medicines when refrigeration is temporarily unavailable. After a natural disaster, it is important to check all medicines for possible damage or improper storage.
Drugs Exposed to Excessive Heat or Unsafe Water
High temperatures from a fire can reduce or destroy the effectiveness of medicines. Consider replacing medicines that may have been exposed to excessive heat.
Medicines exposed to floodwater or water that may be contaminated can become unsafe to use and may lead to serious health effects. Medicines that have come into contact with floodwater or unsafe water should be discarded, even if they are in their original containers with screw-top caps, snap lids, or droppers.
Exception for Lifesaving Drugs
If a medicine exposed to fire or unsafe water is needed to treat a life-threatening condition and a replacement is not readily available, it may be used if it appears unchanged. The medicine should be replaced as soon as possible.
Medicine that is wet or otherwise altered should not be used. It is contaminated and should be discarded.
Drugs that Need to Be Reconstituted (Made into a Liquid)
Medicines that have to be reconstituted (made into a liquid using water) should be mixed only with purified or bottled water. Do not use any other liquid to reconstitute these products.
Drugs that Need Refrigeration
Some medicines require refrigeration (for example, insulin and certain liquid antibiotics). If a medicine has not been kept at the recommended temperature during a power outage, check the medicine's storage instructions, if available, or contact a pharmacist, health care provider, or the manufacturer to find out if it can still be used.
If the medicine is needed to sustain life (for example, insulin) and a replacement is not readily available, it may be used until you can get a new supply.
Temperature-sensitive medicines may lose potency when they are not stored at the recommended temperature. Replace medicines that can no longer be used with a new supply as soon as possible. For more information about insulin, see Information Regarding Insulin Storage and Switching Between Products in an Emergency.