Prescription: Pack Your Medical Go-Bag

6/29/2020 (Permalink)

If you have to evacuate during or after a storm, having a medical go-bag will make your time away from home easier and safer.

If a big storm or other emergency hits your home, you may have to pack up your family and evacuate your home in a matter of minutes. Prepare for this by having a well-stocked medical go-bag—it could save your life. But don’t wait: get started now, before a storm threatens!

Since you may have to leave your home quickly, pack the items in an easy-to-carry, water-resistant kit. Store it in a designated place and make sure all family members know where it is kept. Check the go-bag periodically and replace any out-of-date or damaged supplies. 

Basic Items to Include

Whether you buy a kit from a drugstore or put it together yourself, your medication go-bag should include: 

• Antiseptic wipes and an antibiotic ointment
• Bandages, gauze and tape for treating burns, cuts and wounds
• An antihistamine for allergic reactions
• Pain relievers
• Stomach, antacid and anti-diarrheal remedies
• Mosquito repellent and aloe gel, hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion
• Eyewash solution
• Water-purification tablets
• Scissors and tweezers
• Thermometer
• A copy of your health insurance card

Other Items to Include

Also include at least seven days’ worth of over-the-counter and prescription medications you and family members take on a regular basis. Consider asking your doctor for 60- or 90-day refills of your prescriptions. That way, you’re more likely to have extras on hand for your medication go-bag. As refills arrive, rotate your go-bag supply so that it remains up to date. And remember to check your medications periodically to ensure that they have not expired.

If you and your family have special medical needs, add additional items to your kit: hearing aids with extra batteries, an epinephrine auto-injector, glasses, contact lenses or syringes, for example.

Public Safety Items

In 2020, the CDC currently recommends that people include additional items in their go-bags to help prevent the spread of viruses and the flu. Consider adding these items to your go-bag:

• Cloth face coverings (for ages 2 and above)
• Soap and hand sanitizer
• Disinfecting wipes to disinfect surfaces

Sources: Ready.gov, Consumer Reports

If you have suffered damage from a storm or other disaster at your home or business, call SERVPRO of Bloomfield/Enfield at 860-216-2785

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If you have suffered damage from a storm or other disaster at your home or business, call SERVPRO of Bloomfield/Enfield at 860-216-2785