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Tips for Proper Handling of High Blood Pressure Medications

High blood pressure medications are, like medicines in general, fairly sensitive products. To prevent loss of quality, there are a few things to keep in mind. This article contains many helpful tips to make handling your blood pressurelowering medications easier.

Tipps zum richtigen Umgang mit Bluthochdruck Medikamenten

Proper storage of high blood pressure medications

Medications are sensitive products that can lose quality if stored incorrectly. To best ensure your safety and the safety of others, the Federal Ministry of Health (as of 14 February 2023) recommends the following:1

  • The outer box and the package leaflet of the medicine contain information on the correct storage of the drug, e.g. the temperature. Three common temperature ranges are: room temperature, refrigerated storage, or frozen.
  • Every medicine has an expiry date. Medications past their expiry date should not be taken. How to dispose of expired medicines is covered in the next chapter.
  • Medicines should remain in their original packaging, as this additionally protects the product from light. The package leaflet contains important instructions and must be kept so it can be consulted later if needed.
  • Medicines should not be exposed to high temperatures or direct sunlight.
  • Storing medicines in the bathroom is not recommended, even though its very common. High humidity and fluctuating temperatures can be harmful to medicines.
  • Medications should be kept out of reach of children or animals.

Disposing of high 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 procedure should be observed:

The package leaflet states whether so-called old medicines must be disposed of separately. If the leaflet does not say otherwise, in Germany the medicine may be disposed of with household waste. To prevent active ingredients from getting into groundwater and thus into the environment, medicines should never be flushed down the toilet or poured down the sink.
Rinsing containers with residues of medicines should also be avoided. Municipalities and pharmacies sometimes offer additional services and information on proper medication disposal to act in an environmentally responsible way.1

Splitting tablets

There can be different reasons to split tablets: on the one hand when the doctor wants to give the lowest necessary dose, and on the other hand to save costs.2
However, there are some aspects to consider before splitting tablets:

If a tablet is broken, you must assume that the individual pieces will be different sizes or that particles will be lost, and therefore the dose will not be the same.3

The package leaflet states whether a tablet may be split or not. Since this is not always specified, you should ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure.

A so-called score line is not a guarantee that a tablet can 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 beforehand.

High blood pressure medications that are formulated to release their active ingredient over a longer period are called extended-release (retard) tablets. Breaking these tablets can disrupt that mechanism and may lead to an overdose because the drug is released too quickly. Extended-release tablets should not be split unless this is allowed in the package leaflet.

Some medicines are coated with a special layer so they are protected from stomach acid and are only absorbed later in the body. If this protective coating is broken by splitting, 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 very difficult to split tablets by hand. Tablet cutters can make splitting easier and are available at pharmacies.3

Tip: Before you split or take tablets, make sure your hands are properly clean. Washing your hands or using a hand sanitizer can prevent or reduce the transfer of germs to your tablet. However, your hands should be dry when taking the tablet, as moisture can prematurely soften it.

Organizing your blood pressure medications

Keeping track of your daily medications is not always easy. In Germany, once you have three prescribed medications you are entitled to the so-called standardized medication plan, also called a medication plan. 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 your blood pressurelowering medications easier. Here we present three options with their pros and cons:

Medication dispensers

One way to organize medicines is to presort them into box systems for medicines, so-called medication dispensers. Each day and each time of day (morning, midday, evening) gets its own compartment in the dispenser and the daily medications are sorted accordingly. The compartments can be filled by the patient, caregivers, or healthcare professionals.

Pharmacies also offer this service. After removing tablets from their blister packs and possibly splitting them, they are exposed to temperature and humidity fluctuations, which can negatively affect drug quality.3,5 To avoid this, tablets can be cut out of the blister with scissors without opening or damaging the tablet and stored in box systems with larger compartments. Once tablets have been removed from their blister, it can be difficult to identify which active ingredients they contain. In any case, you should keep the outer box and the package leaflet of the tablets.5

Blister-packaging service

With a blister-packaging service, the daily required medications are professionally sealed into individual blister packs. This service is offered by pharmacies and has the advantage that trained staff perform the blistering. They know which tablets may be placed in a blister and the sorting is safer than when done by laypeople.

App

Smartphones are carried almost everywhere these days. Blood pressure apps are therefore a useful way to get reminders to take your daily blood pressure medication and help 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 medication requires some preparation. Keep the following in mind:

It is advisable to prepare the necessary supply of medications before your trip. Contact the pharmacy in good time and check the validity of your prescriptions. You should have enough medication not only for the entire trip but also for unexpected delays on the way home. A small emergency supply for a few days is recommended.

Import ban lists: Some countries (e.g. Singapore) have very strict lists of prohibited medicines. These can be found via the respective embassies and the customs regulations pages of the individual countries. It is advisable before departure to have a medical prescription and the usage instructions, including the chemical composition of the medicine, issued in the appropriate language or in English.

Medicines also need to be stored properly while on vacation: During the summer months, cars can reach high temperatures. Store medicines so they are not exposed to direct sunlight or excessive heat.1

Incorrect use and side effects

It can happen that you 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 took 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 leaflets contain 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 tell you the exact procedure 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 medication, you should discuss this with your doctor. It is not recommended to replace or swap medications on your own. Some medicines must be tapered off slowly before switchingan example of this are beta blockers. In emergencies or if your condition worsens, please contact emergency services.

You or your doctor can also report side effects. This is an important part of drug safety that checks the safety of medicines that are already approved. You can find information about reporting through the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut.

Sources



This article comes from BloodPressureDB – the leading app since 2011 that helps hundreds of thousands monitor their blood pressure every day. Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 03/2024).

Author Dr. med. univ. Lisa Raberger studied medicine at the Medical University of Vienna and gained broad clinical experience in several hospitals. Now working full-time as a medical writer, she conveys evidence-based expertise to a worldwide audience and ensures 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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