How to Organize the Medicine Closet at a Doctor's Office
Multiple pharmaceutical companies visit most doctor's offices on a daily basis leaving samples of their newest medications and information about their use. These samples are given out to patients who can benefit from the medication. The medications need to be stored in an organized manner for easy access as well as secured to prevent unauthorized use by employees or patients. A locked closet with multiple shelves is a convenient and safe way to contain the medications in the doctor's office.
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Instructions
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Store medicines in a closet that can be secured with a lock. Most doctor's offices will have a variety of samples on hand, some of which can be considered addictive or dangerous if taken in the wrong combination. It is important that the medications are secured behind lock and key with only certain employees having the ability to gain access to the closet.
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Install shelving in the closet. Solid shelving will work best as it will prevent medication boxes and samples of different shapes and sizes from falling through the shelves. If the closet is deep, tiered shelving that is generally used for kitchen spices may be helpful in using all of the shelf space while allowing the medications to be seen.
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Create an organization system based on the type of doctor's office. If only a few ailments are treated in the office, it may be best to organize the medications by ailment or illness. If a wide variety of medications are available, such as in a general practitioner's office, it may be useful to organize the medications in alphabetical order. This may also make it easier for pharmaceutical representatives to assess which samples need to be restocked when they visit the office.
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Check medications for expiration dates on a monthly basis. Medications that are expired should be properly disposed of on a regular basis. Check with the pharmaceutical representatives for their policy on expired samples though most will instruct that the samples be disposed of by the office.
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Install a file cabinet in the closet if possible to hold the literature about the prescription medications. This can be educational for the staff as well as provide additional information for patients about the samples of medication they are being given to treat their illness or ailment.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep an inventory of medication samples to ensure there is not unauthorized use.
