Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) medications can help manage your symptoms and slow disease progression — but to work right, they need to be taken as prescribed and stored correctly.
The basics of storing oral medications
Taking medication for PBC generally means taking a pill or tablet.
The most common medication for PBC is the oral medication ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). UDCA is considered the first-line treatment for PBC, meaning that it is typically prescribed first, before other treatment options. The two FDA-approved second-line therapies for PBC, seladelpar and elafibranor, are also oral medications. Other commonly prescribed oral medications in PBC are antihistamines, corticosteroids and fibrates.
With any prescription, you should always check the storage instructions that typically come in a leaflet together with your medication. It is important that you read these instructions carefully and follow them exactly as written.
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Most oral medications are usually stored at room temperature, meaning that they will be fine in a bag or left on a table. Many won’t be impacted by a short time either slightly above or below normal room temperature range (but again, check the instructions). They shouldn’t, however, be left in a hot car all day, in the freezer, or at other extremes.
Keeping your medications organized
If you are taking the medications out of their box, it is important that they are well-labeled so you don’t accidentally confuse one for another. Ensure that you can easily distinguish between each medication type.
Some people find it helpful to buy a medication storage box that has different compartments, which can be used to separate medications by category or by the day of the week that you need to take them.
Ensuring easy accessibility
You want to make sure that you don’t forget to take your medications as prescribed, so it is best to keep them in a convenient location. This is especially important if you have brain fog or fatigue, both of which are common in PBC.
While it is good to have your medications in an easily accessible location, they shouldn’t be placed somewhere that can be easily reached by a child or a pet. You may also want to store all your medications in the same location, so that you don’t accidentally lose them.
Travel tips
If you are a frequent traveler, it is best to keep some of your medications in a small pouch that you can easily transfer from one bag to another — and keep with you if your main luggage will be stowed away at an extreme temp.
It is important that you ensure that your medications are with you at all times, even when you’re out of town. Never missing a dose will help your treatment work as effectively as possible.
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