Mail Order Medicine Gets VERY Hot!

Q. I just received two packages the same day. One was my medicine from a mail-order pharmacy service. The other was a gift of cheese and chocolate.
The cheese and candy had melted into a fearful mess and I had to throw the whole box away. It made me wonder about how the high temperature in the delivery truck might have affected my drugs and vitamins.
A. You have discovered the Achilles heel of mail-order pharmacy services. Pharmaceutical manufacturers go to great lengths to ensure the quality of their medicines. But reshipping and local delivery by unrefrigerated vans, jeeps or trucks can pose a problem for many of today’s potent drugs.
The temperature in a delivery vehicle on a hot summer day can easily climb to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, shortening medication shelf life or causing deterioration. The temperature in a mailbox can soar even higher!
This should also serve as a reminder never to leave your pills in the car after buying them at the pharmacy and never store them in the trunk or glove compartment.
Because more and more employers are trying to reduce their drug expenditures they are increasingly encouraging (forcing) employees to order medicines from mail-order pharmacy services. Even though most medications come with very specific instructions to keep temperature within a narrow range (frequently room temperature is defined as 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit), such guidelines are rarely enforced by mail order companies.