It's important to take your medications, but do you stop to think about how you store them?

Some medicines lose their effectiveness when stored above this minimum temperature, resulting in lost or at least diminished effectiveness.

Some even may change form and become difficult to use. For instance, gelatine capsules may soften, ointments and creams may become runny, and suppositories may melt.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia national president George Tambassis advises people who live in areas of regular and prolonged high temperatures to store medicines in the coolest, safest place available.

For those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes or heart disease, he says taking damaged medicine has the potential to result in serious consequences.

Medicines also have an expiry date printed on the label. And while Mr Tambassis says this does not mean the medicine is suddenly useless or dangerous after that date, it does indicate that after the "expiry date" the quality and effectiveness of the medicine can't be guaranteed.

"A slight reduction in the efficiency of pain relievers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol should not present a major problem, but compromised doses of medicines for conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, high blood pressure or anti-coagulant therapy could present dangers," he said.

"In addition, many medicines, including some commonly used analgesics, produce unpleasant or toxic products when they degrade. For instance, aspirin breaks down to acetic acid and salicylic acid, which can upset the stomachs of people taking them."

Mr Tambassis said blister or foil-packed products are more likely to maintain their integrity than tablets or capsules packed loosely in a bottle and stored in below-optimum conditions for a short time; and large pack sizes of products which are used only occasionally often result in being an uneconomical purchase.

He advises that if you think your medicine may have been exposed to higher-than-recommended temperatures or may be out of date, you speak to your community pharmacist.

"It is also advisable to check with your pharmacist about storing your medicine in the fridge, as most medicines should not be stored at these temperatures," he said.

"An exception to never storing medicines in the fridge is some liquid medicines and injection vials but only if the label says so.

"The fridge means the main compartment, not the freezer, and if your medicines accidentally freeze, they are almost certainly unstable and therefore should not be used. Once again, check with your community pharmacist."

Most bathrooms have a medicine cabinet and that's where many of us keep our medication. But, Mr Tambassis says, this is actually one of the worst places to keep them.

"Medicines should be stored in a cool, dry place and not a bathroom where the heat and moisture from the shower, bath and sink may damage them, with the result they may become less effective, or they may even go bad before the expiration date."

Always check the label and the Consumer Medicine Information leaflet for storage instructions.

In general, Mr Tambassis said it is important to try to store medicines away from heat, moisture and sunlight - generally below 25 degrees Celsius. And they should never be left in warm places such as in front of a window.

"People living in the tropics should store their medicines in a part of the house that is cool and dry; for example in an airtight container in the linen cupboard. They should be checked regularly to see that they remain dry, especially during the wet season.

"An added challenge is storing medicines while travelling in hot weather. One of the most important things to remember is, if you are driving, never to store them in the glove box or on the dashboard.

"And if you have to take your medicines while out and about, take with you only what you need for the day, and leave the remainder at home."