Running out of a regular medicine, nappies or continence supplies can cause an immediate problem even when the cupboard is full of food. These items deserve a place on the same household stock list as water and batteries.
Start with what is used over a normal day. Include the needs of anyone you care for and any supplies kept in a different room. You are looking for things that would be difficult or inappropriate to replace at short notice.
Order regular medicines in time
Know when the next prescription must be requested and how long your practice and pharmacy need to prepare it. NHS England guidance says normally to allow five working days for requesting and obtaining a repeat. Use your own provider’s arrangements and check holiday closures.
Keep an accurate list of medicines, strengths and prescribed instructions. Do not change a dose or order beyond the prescribed arrangements to create a private stockpile. If you are running out, speak to a pharmacist or the appropriate local NHS service promptly.
In England, 111’s emergency prescription service may help someone who has completely run out of a repeat medicine. Emergency pharmacy supplies depend on the medicine and circumstances and may involve a charge. Check the local route in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland rather than assuming the same online service applies.
Make temperature and power needs specific
If medicine needs refrigeration, ask a pharmacist what to do if the fridge loses power. Different products have different limits; a generic instruction to put everything in a cool box is not enough.
Do the same for medical devices, personal alarms and other powered equipment. Find out the backup duration, who to call and what action to take before the backup runs out. Keep the relevant instructions accessible.
Reserve the hygiene products you already use
Keep a manageable extra supply of household essentials such as soap, toilet paper, period products, nappies, continence products and suitable cleaning supplies. Choose the actual products and sizes needed, particularly where skin sensitivity or care requirements limit alternatives.
Store cleaning chemicals in their original labelled containers and follow their directions. Do not mix products or improvise a disinfectant recipe. Keep them separate from drinking water, medicines and food.
For a small reserve, a minimum-stock note is enough: when you open the last spare packet, add a replacement to the normal shop. This avoids discovering the shortage when getting to the shops is difficult.
Keep handwashing in the water plan
If the water supply is interrupted, follow supplier instructions and plan for washing hands with appropriate water and soap. Hand gel is useful for some purposes, but it does not replace handwashing in every situation.
The NHS specifically advises soap and water to help prevent norovirus spreading because alcohol hand gels do not kill it. This is one reason not to spend the entire water reserve on drinks and assume a bottle of sanitiser covers every other need.
Put supplies where the person using them can reach them. Review them when a medicine, device or care need changes. An emergency reserve is most useful when it reflects the household as it is now.
Sources
NHS: repeat and emergency prescription arrangements in England
NHS: norovirus and hand hygiene
