Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
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Exposure of medicines to high temperatures in storage or in transit could reduce their efficacy, and most licences specify storage at 25 degrees C or less. To assess whether this criterion was being met, maximum temperatures in a general practice drug cupboard and in drug bags placed in car boots were recorded for two weeks during a British heatwave (average peak daily ambient temperature 26 degrees C). Also, ten neighbouring dispensing pharmacies were questioned about their temperature-control policies. ⋯ None of the local dispensaries had air conditioning or kept a temperature log. In the course of a British summer, medicines were exposed to temperatures that might in theory have reduced their efficacy. This aspect of quality control deserves more attention.