How to read the leaflet
What sections the leaflet is made up of, where to find contraindications and storage conditions, and why only your doctor and the leaflet itself set how a medicine is taken.
medicines at home: a guide without self-medication
Farmakopea — medicine literacy at home
Almost every home has medicines in it, yet few people read the leaflets, and boxes sit for years next to the cooker or in the bathroom. This guide explains what is printed on the pack and in the leaflet, how to store medicines, what to discuss with your doctor when putting together a home first-aid kit, and what to do if an unexpected reaction appears after taking something. We do not advise what to take: the doctor decides on treatment, and if in doubt, it is best to ask a pharmacist.
The most useful habit when it comes to medicines is reading the leaflet all the way to the end. Everything else — storage, expiry dates, questions for the doctor — rests on it.
Where to start
Home first-aid kit
What to discuss with your doctor before putting a first-aid kit together, and how to check every few months what is actually in it.
Storage and expiry
Why the bathroom and the spot by the cooker are poor choices, when a medicine really does need the fridge, and what to do with one that has expired.
If something goes wrong
How to recognise a side effect, whom to report it to, and when to call 103 or 112 straight away instead of losing time searching online.
Guide sections
- Topics
Topics by group: leaflet and pack, storage, special situations and safety. The article catalogue is here too.
- First-aid kit
How to sort out your home first-aid kit: expiry dates, storage conditions, leaflets and keeping medicines away from children.
- Leaflet
How to read the leaflet section by section, how dosage forms differ and what “prescription only” means.
- Quality
What a pharmacopoeia and a monograph are, and how to check information about medicines you find online.
- Questions
Questions worth asking your doctor when a medicine is prescribed, your pharmacist, and anyone when a reaction appears.
- Glossary
Words from the pack and the leaflet: INN, brand name, dosage form, batch number, contraindications.
- Sources
What the guide is based on, what it deliberately does not do, and why much of it is written in general terms.
Checking your home first-aid kit in five steps
Expiry dates
Take out every pack and find the expiry date on each one. Put expired medicines to one side: there is no need to take them, and what to do with them is covered below in the frequently asked questions.
Storage conditions
Compare where each box is kept with what the storage section of its leaflet says. If it asks for a cool place or protection from light and the pack is sitting on a sunny windowsill, move it.
Leaflets in place
Check that each leaflet is in its own box. Without it, it is easy to forget why the medicine was prescribed and what its limitations are, so it is better to show a pack without a leaflet to a pharmacist.
Out of children's reach
The first-aid kit should be kept where a child cannot reach or climb to it — in a closed drawer or a high cupboard. Small children often mistake brightly coloured bottles and boxes for toys or sweets.
Questions for the doctor
While the kit is sorted out, write down anything you are unsure about: why a medicine was prescribed, whether it is still needed, what is worth keeping at home given any long-term conditions in the family. Take the list to your next appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Is Farmakopea a pharmacy or an online shop?
No. We sell nothing, take no orders and do not work with pharmacies. This is a guide to handling the medicines you already have or that your doctor has prescribed.
Can you tell me what to take for my symptoms?
No. We do not choose medicines and do not name products. What to take is decided by the doctor who has examined you; if in doubt, you can ask a pharmacist, and if a life is at risk, call 103 or 112.
Can I split a tablet or open a capsule?
Only if the leaflet or your doctor explicitly allows it. Some dosage forms have a coating that controls where and how quickly the substance is released; damaging it can change how the medicine works.
What should I do with expired medicines?
Do not pour them down the sink or flush them down the toilet. Collection arrangements vary by region: ask at your nearest pharmacy or local council whether there is a collection point nearby, and what to do if there is not.
About the project
This domain was previously used for unrelated advertising that had nothing to do with medicine. The current guide has no connection with it, does not restore its pages and does not carry advertising.
The name Farmakopea comes from the word “pharmacopoeia” — the term for a collection of quality standards for medicines. We write for adults who keep medicines at home, look after children or elderly relatives and want to understand the leaflet rather than guess. Specific facts come from official sources, and everything to do with treatment is left to the doctor.
Read next
- Leaflet
How to read the leaflet section by section, how dosage forms differ and what “prescription only” means.
- First-aid kit
How to sort out your home first-aid kit: expiry dates, storage conditions, leaflets and keeping medicines away from children.
- Sources
What the guide is based on, what it deliberately does not do, and why much of it is written in general terms.
Sources
- State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation
- Package leaflets / instructions for medical use
- Roszdravnadzor (Russian health watchdog) — pharmacovigilance
Information is current as of the preparation date. Rules on medicines, labelling requirements and the procedure for reporting side effects can change — always check the leaflet for your specific medicine and confirm the details with a doctor or pharmacist.