Care homes, pharmacies, hospitals and other medical institutions have a lot of drugs to keep safe.
There is a whole industry dedicated to providing solutions to their storage needs.
They can't just use a standard bathroom cabinet filled with Savlon and Vaseline like the rest of us.
So, for the recently anointed 'head of drug storage', or just the curious, here are the main types of drug storage units.
Controlled Drug Cabinets Controlled drug (CD) cabinets are essentially the professional version of the bathroom cabinet.
They come in varying sizes depending on how much you need to store, along with varying shelving configurations.
The key thing with Controlled Drug Cabinets is how secure it is.
It is very important that it has a secure lock and complies with the Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973 requirements (in the UK).
MDS Drug Trolleys An MDS drug trolley is fundamentally a controlled drug cabinet on wheels.
Aside from all the qualities you look for in a drug cabinet, be certain that it will be easily movable.
You may wish to look into a wall security clamp for when it is unattended and possible even bump guards.
Pharmacy Fridges Again, very similar to the controlled drug cabinets but with added refrigeration; a pharmacy fridge is essential for any pharmaceuticals that require refrigeration.
If you are unsure as to whether you need this, best speak to your resident pharmacist to clarify.
Remember to make sure it is lockable.
Self Medicating Cabinets Self medicating cabinets are much simpler affairs than any of the other options as they are primarily for individual use, for example in a care home patient's room.
Accordingly, they have a much smaller storage capacity.
It's still important to get a lock, as you may wish to simply use these to be distributed to rather than for the patient to have constant access to.