Medication mistakes: Pharmacist warns of actions that make medicine ineffective

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Summer may not be officially over, but warmer days ahead still pose serious risks to your medications if they're not stored properly.

Critical medications like inhalers, EpiPens and insulin can become ineffective when exposed to high temperatures, potentially putting lives at risk.

"If you keep things like inhalers, EpiPens or insulins on you throughout the day don't leave them in a hot car or with you outside for long periods of time. That sun and heat exposure could degrade the medication rendering it ineffective," said Sarah Dawson, a clinical pharmacist at Sentara Health.

Common storage mistakes to avoid

Hot cars, mailboxes and even front steps can reach dangerous temperatures that compromise medication effectiveness. Dawson says people often don't realize how