How extreme heat affects medicines and patients
The world just experienced its hottest day on record, and prolonged heat waves have become more common due to climate change, conditions that can alter drugs and their effects on the patients who take them. Here’s what you need to know about hot weather medications: How does heat change the effects and quality of medicines? Medicines for common conditions can increase patients’ sensitivity to heat by reducing the body’s response to high temperatures, including the ability to sweat and the rate of blood flow. Heat waves also increase the risk of spoilage for almost all medicines, whether capsules, sprays, tablets,
