The family medicine cabinet.

Medicine selection and storage was examined in 130 families. Over 50 per cent were found to be less than adequate. Health education advice helped half the inadequate group to change to adequate. Age and social class were not related to hoarding of prescribed drugs, to initial standards of storage or selection, nor to the likelihood of a response to advice. Those who hoarded medicines but stored them well were highly likely to change. Those who stored and selected poorly were unlikely to make any changes. The 130 families had an average of 8.6 prescribed drugs per house, over half of which were completely out of date and were not being kept for emergency usage. There were also an average of 14.2 non-prescribed items per house, giving a total of 22.8 per house.