Panomni-D Storage: Keeping Capsules Safe in Indian Homes

The label instruction is specific. Panomni-D Pantoprazole Gastro-Resistant and Domperidone Prolonged-Release Capsules IP should be stored protected from moisture at a temperature not exceeding 25 degrees Celsius.

That number is worth taking seriously in India, where a closed room in summer can sit well above it for hours. Choose an interior cupboard or an almirah shelf on the shaded side of the house, away from windows that catch afternoon sun. A steel dabba inside a cupboard adds a useful layer of protection from light and stray moisture.

Do not store the capsules in the refrigerator unless a doctor or pharmacist specifically tells you to. Repeated movement between cold and warm air causes condensation on the strip, and moisture is exactly what these pellets are protected against.

Also avoid the top of the fridge, the kitchen shelf above the stove, the window sill, the bathroom cabinet and the glove box of a car. All of these are warmer or damper than they look.

Humidity is the quiet enemy of a coated pellet capsule. The gastro-resistant film on the pantoprazole pellets and the release-controlling layer on the domperidone pellets both depend on staying dry. Damp can soften a gelatin shell, make capsules stick, and change how they behave once swallowed.

During the rainy months, keep the strip inside its outer carton and place the carton in an airtight container with the lid closed. Do not cut individual capsules off the strip and leave them loose in a purse, a shirt pocket or a small plastic pouch. Wash and dry your hands before handling the strip, since wet fingers on a blister do more harm than people expect.

Silica gel sachets that come with other packaged goods can be kept in the storage container, but never inside the medicine strip itself and never anywhere a child could pick them up.

Panomni-D is supplied as 10 x 10 capsules. Each capsule sits in its own sealed pocket, and that seal is part of the packaging design rather than a decoration.

If a strip has clearly been exposed to water, heat or direct sun for a long time, take it to your chemist and ask rather than taking a chance.

Travel is where routines and storage both slip. A little planning avoids both problems.

Carry the medicine in your hand baggage rather than checked luggage, so it stays with you and avoids extreme temperatures in a hold. Keep it in the original strip and carton, and carry the prescription, since Panomni-D is a Schedule H medicine and the prescription is your record if anyone asks.

On road journeys, do not leave the pack on the dashboard, on the rear parcel shelf or in a parked car. Interior temperatures climb very fast in the sun. On pilgrimages, treks and long train journeys, a small hard case inside a bag protects the strip from crushing and damp.

Take a few extra days of supply for delays, and plan your refill before a festival week when chemist shops may keep shorter hours.

Check the expiry date printed on the strip itself as well as on the carton, because a carton can outlive the strip you actually kept. A medicine is not intended for use after that date, since neither the strength nor the behaviour of the coatings is assured beyond it.

When a course ends, do not save the leftover strip for the next time acidity flares. Panomni-D is prescribed for a specific person, a specific problem and a specific period. Do not pass it to a family member or a neighbour with similar symptoms, however well meant.

For disposal, do not flush capsules down the toilet and do not throw a readable strip into an open bin. Remove or scratch out personal details from the carton, keep the capsules inside the blister, and hand expired or unused medicines to your chemist or a local pharmacy take-back point if one is available. Where that is not possible, follow the disposal advice given by your pharmacist.

Finally, keep the medicine out of reach of children. A capsule that looks harmless to an adult is not harmless to a small child, and the pack should live on a high shelf or in a cupboard that a child cannot open.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for advice from a registered medical practitioner.