Suzanne Berman, M.D.
A well-stocked home medicine cabinet should include the following items:
- Small and medium sized band-aids.
- Medium and large sized gauze pads.
- A roll of clean gauze.
- A heating pad.
- A digital thermometer.
- A freezable ice pack.
- Sunscreen (at least SPF 15).
- Insect repellent (DEET free is best. See our information page on insect repellent.)
- A pair of small tweezers.
- Small, curved fingernail scissors.
- A rubber bulb syringe.
As far as medications for the medicine cabinet, we recommend having the following:
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol), in liquid or pill form, depending on the age of your children. Also consider having a few suppositories, since these are handy when children have fever and vomiting.
- Ibuprofen (Advil), in liquid or pill form.
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), in liquid or pill form.
- Hydrocortisone 1% cream or ointment.
- Antibacterial ointment (such as Neosporin.)
- Nasal saline drops.
Tips for your kit:
- We recommend going through your medicine cabinet every 3-4 months and throwing away any medications that have expired. (Be sure to throw them away in such a manner that your young children won't find them and eat them!)
- You can put your kit in a plastic box or tackle box and take it with you on trips as well. Being prepared beats looking for children's Tylenol at 10 pm in a strange town (and paying high gas station prices.)