Medicine, First Aid, and Key Documents
Work out a medicine buffer with your doctor or pharmacist, keep a written medicine list, stock a family first aid kit, plan for medical devices that need power, and protect copies of your key documents.
⚠ Talk to a professional before stocking up on medicine
Ask your pharmacist or doctor about keeping an emergency supply, and find out what your state allows for emergency refills.[1] Don't stockpile prescriptions without medical advice. Never take expired medicine, because it may be weaker or unsafe.[2] Throw out any medicine that has touched floodwater, even if it's still in its sealed bottle.[1]
Medicine takes a little more planning than food or water. A short list, a checked first aid kit, and a backup plan for anything that needs power or a fridge will handle most of it. Finish by putting copies of your key papers where you can grab them.
How much do I need?
Daily dose × days you want covered. Someone taking 2 pills a day needs 2 × 7 = 14 pills for a 7-day go-kit, the Red Cross minimum,[4] or 2 × 30 = 60 pills for the 30 days the Red Cross suggests for older adults.[5] Ask your pharmacist or doctor how to get there safely.[1]
Prescription buffer and safe storage
- Know what you have. Keep track of how much of each medicine is on hand. If you expect trouble getting to a pharmacy, ask about refilling early.[1]
- Ask about a buffer. Your pharmacist or doctor can tell you what emergency supply makes sense for you.[1] The Red Cross suggests a 7-day supply in your grab-and-go kit, and at least 30 days for older adults when possible.[4][5]
- Store it well. For most medicines, a cool, dry place like a dresser drawer or closet shelf is better than a damp bathroom. Always follow any storage directions on the label.[2]
- Keep it dry. If flooding is possible, put medicine bottles in watertight containers, like plastic tubs with lids, and store them up high.[1]
- Medicine that needs a fridge: keep a cooler and ice or frozen gel packs ready. After an outage, check the label or ask a pharmacist whether the medicine is still good. If it's life-sustaining, like insulin, and you can't get a replacement, you can keep using it until you get a new supply.[1]
Your medicine list and key documents
Write a medicine list for each person. Include each medicine's name and strength, what it's for, how much they take, and when. Add medical conditions, needed medical supplies, and allergies. Keep a copy of your prescriptions with your emergency supplies.[1]
Copy your key documents: IDs and passports, birth certificates, proof of address, your deed or lease, insurance policies, and medical information.[4] Older adults should also include financial and legal papers, prescription records, doctors' names, and insurance cards.[5]
- Keep paper copies in a waterproof container.[6]
- Make password-protected digital copies as a backup.[6]
- Review your documents and supplies every 6 months.[5]
A first aid kit for the household
Keep a first aid kit at home and one in the car.[3] The Red Cross list for a family of four includes:[3]
- 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 × 9 inches)
- 25 adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
- 1 roll of adhesive cloth tape (10 yards × 1 inch)
- 5 antibiotic ointment packets and 5 antiseptic wipe packets
- 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
- 1 emergency blanket and 1 instant cold compress
- 1 breathing barrier with a one-way valve
- 2 pairs of non-latex gloves (large)
- 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets
- 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide) and 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
- 5 sterile gauze pads (3 × 3 inches) and 5 sterile gauze pads (4 × 4 inches)
- An oral thermometer (non-mercury, non-glass)
- 2 triangular bandages and tweezers
- First aid instructions
Add personal items, like your own medicines and emergency phone numbers. Check the kit regularly and replace anything used or out of date.[3] Having at least one person at home trained in first aid and CPR helps a lot.[9]
Medical devices that need power
- Make a list of everything medical that runs on electricity or needs refrigeration. Plan a backup power source or a no-power alternative for each one, and talk it through with your doctor or equipment supplier.[7]
- Tell your power company. If someone in your home depends on electricity, register with your utility.[8]
- Practice and label. Know how to connect and start backup power for essential equipment. Teach your helpers how to run it, and attach written instructions to each device.[8]
- Know when to leave. If a device needs power you don't have, go somewhere that does. Communities often open warming or cooling centers and charging stations.[7]
Checklist
Mistakes to avoid
- Stockpiling prescriptions without asking a doctor or pharmacist
- Keeping medicine in a damp bathroom cabinet
- Using expired medicine or medicine that touched floodwater
- Having no written list of medicines, doses, and allergies
- Assuming a medical device will keep running when the power goes out
- Keeping your only copy of key documents in one place
Do this this weekend
Sit down with everyone's medicine bottles and write one list: name, strength, what it's for, dose, timing, and allergies.[1] Take a photo of each person's list and their prescriptions, save the photos in a password-protected place, and put a paper copy in a waterproof bag with your emergency supplies.[6]
Gear that helps
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- First aid kitsHome first aid kitCovers cuts, burns and sprains; check it against the Red Cross list and add your own medicines.Check it (opens retailer site)
- First aid kitsBleeding-control kitPairs with free Stop the Bleed training for serious injuries.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Power banks and solar stationsHigh-capacity power bankSeveral phone charges in your pocket; keep it topped up.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Power banks and solar stationsPortable power stationQuiet, fume-free battery power you can use indoors for phones, lights, CPAP or a small fridge.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Batteries and USB-C chargersRechargeable AA/AAA batteriesRechargeables plus a charger mean you aren't relying only on what's in the drawer.Check it (opens retailer site)
- Batteries and USB-C chargersUSB-C multi-battery chargerCharges AA and AAA batteries from a power bank or solar panel when the grid is down.Check it (opens retailer site)
Sources
- Safe Drug Use After a Natural Disaster U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Don't Be Tempted to Use Expired Medicines U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Anatomy of a First Aid Kit American Red Cross
- Survival Kit Supplies American Red Cross
- Older Adults Emergency Preparedness American Red Cross
- Flood Safety Week National Weather Service, Louisville KY office (NOAA)
- Power Outage Safety American Red Cross
- Inclusive Preparedness Resources American Red Cross
- Be Informed American Red Cross
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