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If you are like most people you require some medication to be stored in your home. Sometimes it is prescription medication and sometimes it is nonprescription medication or even both.
Keeping your medicines inside of a medicine cabinet is not a new concept but securely locking them up is becoming more and more prevalent in todays society.
Prescription drug use increases every year and abuse of those medications has reached epidemic levels, especially among teens and young adults.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, young adults (age 18 to 25) are the biggest abusers of prescription medications including opioid pain relievers, ADHD stimulants, and anti-anxiety drugs.
Securing your medications inside your home has become a home safety item and a locking medicine cabinet is a product you should seriously consider.
Especially if you have medications that are narcotics or have a street value and criminals might target your home to break-in or even known friends and family could ransack quickly while you are distracted.
Below, we have rounded up the best locking medicine cabinets you can buy online to safely and securely store your medications in your home.
Best Locking Medicine Cabinets
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Wincere Stainless Steel Wall Mount Medicine Cabinet S1200
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Winbest Large Wall Mount Steel Medical Medicine Storage Cabinet with Glass Door
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Glosen Locking Medicine Cabinet Wall Mounted and Portable Storage Container Big Capacity Green
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Croydex Trent Stainless Steel Lockable Surface Mount Medicine Cabinet with Keys
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STEELMASTER Large Medical Security Cabinet Dual Locks
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Reliance Medical 215 Locking Metal First Aid - Medicine Cabinet, Double Door
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Wincere Stainless Steel Wall Mount Medicine Cabinet
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Features Of Medicine Cabinets With Locks
It is important to choose a medicine cabinet that locks and have it meet your requirements properly. Below are the most important features to look for and a description to help you decide.
Features To Look For:
- Dimensions – This is the size of the box that will store your medicines and other items you choose to put into the cabinet. If you only have a few small pill bottles then you won’t need a very large cabinet with many shelves. However, if your storage requirements are larger than the normal house, you should opt for a cabinet with big storage compartments and lots of shelves.
- Material – The cabinet should be constructed of solid metal materials that are durable enough to be mounted securely to a wall and hold up to the wear and tear of being used. Check out a stainless steel option as a premium finish that is easy to clean.
- Door – The door of the cabinet should either be glass that allows you to get a glimpse into the cabinet without opening or solid metal that keeps everything out of sight. Depending on how you want the medicine cabinet to display the contents that are being stored.
- Locking Mechanism – perhaps the most important feature is the lock, after all we are showcasing medicine cabinets that lock! If you need the most secure locking device, then check out one that has dual locks with each lock requiring a different key. However, if your use case is like most homes then a single lock should work out just fine for you.
- Number of Shelves – Depending on how many medications and the various size of the bottles, the number of shelves will be important to you. How much thought you put into how you arrange your pill bottles in the medicine cabinet may depend on if you are storing OCD medication!
Best Practices For Prescription Medication Storage At Home
Where and how you store your medication at home can affect the potency, expiration date and how it will work for you. Follow the below best practices for storing your medicine properly to keep it from losing effectiveness.
How To Properly Store Your Medication:
- Store all medication in a locking medicine cabinet away that is out of sight and out of reach of children.
- Medicine needs to be stored in a cool and dry place because heat, light, air and moisture can impact the medication. Pills and capsules can be damaged easily by heat and moisture.
- A locking medicine cabinet should be away from your stove, sink, and any hot appliances.
- The bathroom is not the best place for storing medicine because the shower and sinks produces heat and moisture, which can damage, reduce the potency or accelerate the expiration date of your medicine.
- Prescription & Nonprescription medication should always be stored in the original container.
- Do not leave the cotton ball in the medicine bottle because it can pull moisture into the medicine bottle, causing damage.
- Always ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any specific storage questions.
So now that you have this information, which locking medicine cabinet are you going to purchase and why? Tell us about your experience or drop any questions you may have for us in the comments below!
You might be interested in our article on key lock boxes for more advice on keeping your possessions secure.
