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Tips for properly handling blood pressure medications

Blood pressure medicines are, like other medicines, fairly sensitive products. To prevent a loss of quality, there are several things to keep in mind. This article gives you many helpful tips to make it easier to handle your blood pressurelowering medicines in everyday life.

Tipps zum richtigen Umgang mit Bluthochdruck Medikamenten

Storing blood pressure medications correctly

Medications are sensitive products that can lose quality if stored incorrectly. To best protect your safety and the safety of others, the Federal Ministry of Health (as of 14.02.2023) recommends the following:1

  • The outer carton and the package leaflet of the medicine provide information on proper storage, for example the temperature. Three common temperature ranges are: room temperature, refrigeration, or frozen.
  • Every medicine has an expiration date. Medicines past their expiration date should not be taken. How to dispose of expired medicines is explained in the next chapter.
  • Medicines should stay in their original packaging, which provides extra protection from light. The package leaflet contains important instructions for use and should be kept so it can be consulted later if needed.
  • Medicines must not be exposed to high temperatures or direct sunlight.
  • It is not recommended to store medicines in the bathroom, even though this is common. High humidity and fluctuating temperatures can be harmful to medicines.
  • Medicines should be kept out of reach of children and animals.

Disposing of blood pressure medications

Proper disposal of medicines is important for people and the environment. If a medicine has expired or there are other reasons to dispose of it, the following should be observed:

The package leaflet indicates whether the socalled old medicine must be disposed of separately. Unless the leaflet says otherwise, in Germany medicines may be thrown in the household waste. To prevent active substances from reaching groundwater and the environment, medicines should never be flushed down the toilet or poured down the sink.
Rinsing containers that still contain medicine residues should also be avoided. Municipalities and pharmacies sometimes offer additional services and information on proper medicine disposal to protect the environment.1

Splitting tablets

There can be different reasons to split tablets: for example, when a doctor wants to achieve the lowest necessary dose, and also to save costs.2
However, there are some aspects to consider before splitting tablets:

If a tablet is broken, you should assume the pieces will be different sizes or that some parts may be lost, so the dose may not be the same.3

The package leaflet states whether a tablet may be split or not. Since this isn't always specified, ask your doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure.

A score line is not a guarantee that a tablet may be split, because there are also decorative grooves. Soft gelatin capsules and coated tablets (dragees) cannot be split at all. If a tablet without a score line is to be split, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist first.

Blood pressure medicines that release their active ingredient over a longer period because of their special formulation are called extendedrelease tablets. Breaking these tablets can disrupt that mechanism and may lead to an overdose of the active ingredient because it is released too quickly. Extendedrelease tablets should not be split unless the package leaflet allows it.

Some medicines are coated with a special layer to protect them from stomach acid so they are only absorbed later in the body. If this protective coating is broken by splitting the tablet, the medicine may be less effective or cause side effects.3

If you have difficulty swallowing, the package leaflet will state whether tablets may be crushed. If in doubt, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
Some people find it difficult to split tablets by hand. A tablet cutter can make splitting easier and is available at pharmacies.3

Tip: Before splitting or taking tablets, make sure your hands are clean. Washing your hands or using hand sanitizer can prevent or reduce the transfer of germs to your tablet. Your hands should be dry when taking the tablet, because moisture can soften it prematurely.

Organizing blood pressure medications

Keeping track of daily medicines isn't always easy. Once you are prescribed three or more medicines in Germany, you are entitled to the nationwide medication plan, also called the Medikationsplan. This document clearly lists all prescribed medicines. The medication plan is available digitally and on paper.4

There are other tools that can make organizing blood pressure medicines easier. Here we present three options with their pros and cons:

Medication dispensers

One way to organize medicines is to pre-sort them into box systems for medicines, socalled medication dispensers. Each day and each time of day (morning, midday, evening) is assigned a compartment of the dispenser and the daily medicines are sorted accordingly. The compartments can be filled by the person themselves, by caregivers, or by healthcare staff.

Pharmacies also offer this service. However, after removing tablets from blister packs and possibly splitting them, they are exposed to temperature and humidity fluctuations, which can negatively affect the quality of the medicines.3,5 To prevent this, tablets can be cut out of the blister with scissors without opening the tablet and stored in box systems with larger compartments. Once tablets have been removed from their blister, it can be difficult to reassign them to their active ingredients. In any case, the outer carton and the package leaflet of the tablets should be kept.5

Blistering service

With a blistering service, the medications needed each day are professionally sealed into individual blisters. This service is offered by pharmacies and has the advantage that trained staff do the blistering. They know which tablets may go into a blister and the assignment is safer than when done by laypeople.

App

Smartphones go with us almost everywhere. Blood pressure apps are therefore a useful way to get reminders to take your blood pressure medicines daily to keep your blood pressure in the target range.6 If you want to enjoy all the benefits of the App BloodPressureDB, you can find more information here.

Preparing for travel

Traveling with medicines requires some planning. Keep the following in mind:

It's advisable to prepare the necessary supply of medicines before you travel. Contact your pharmacy in good time and check that your prescriptions are still valid. You should have enough medication not only for the planned trip but also for unexpected delays returning home. It's recommended to carry a small emergency supply for a few days.

Import ban list: Some countries (e.g. Singapore) maintain very strict lists of medicines that are banned from import. These can be found via the respective embassies and the customs regulation pages of each country. It's recommended to have a doctor's prescription and the product information, including the chemical composition of the medicine, issued in the local language or in English before you travel.

Proper storage of medicines also applies during travel: in the summer months a car can reach high temperatures. Store medicines so they are not exposed to direct sunlight or extreme heat.1

Incorrect use and side effects

You may forget a dose or take the wrong medicine. Mistakes are human and hiding them can lead to complications. Keep the following tips in mind:

You have taken the wrong medicine: Contact your doctor immediately and explain which medicine you took by mistake and which one you were supposed to take. Do not wait to see if anything happens.

You missed a dose: The package leaflet contains information on what to do if you miss a dose. In most cases it is not recommended to take a double dose to "make up" for the missed one. Contact your doctor, who will explain exactly what to do if you have missed a dose.

You have side effects: If you feel unwell or suspect you are experiencing a side effect from your blood pressure medicine, discuss it with your doctor. It is not recommended to change or replace medicines on your own. Some medicines must be tapered off slowly before switching betablockers are one example. In emergencies or if your condition worsens, please call emergency services.

You and your doctor can also report side effects. This is an important part of drug safety that monitors the safety of medicines that are already approved. You can find information on reporting via the PaulEhrlichInstitut.

Sources



This article comes from BloodPressureDB – the leading app since 2011 that helps hundreds of thousands of people monitor their blood pressure every day. Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based information and is continuously updated (as of 12/2025).

Author Dr. Lisa Raberger studied medicine at the Medical University of Vienna and gained extensive clinical experience in several hospitals. As a professional medical writer, she now communicates evidence-based expertise to a global audience, ensuring reliable, easy-to-understand information.

We hope you found the article helpful. For good blood pressure control, it's important to take your medications correctly. Our app BloodPressureDB will gladly remind you when to take them. It also keeps track of your medication supply and notifies you in time when you're running low. This feature is fully available in the free version as well. Get the free app now.


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