Salvage broad-spectrum antibiotics first, then pain and fever relief, an anti-diarrhoeal, antihistamines, emergency injectables for severe allergy, and the chronic-disease drugs that anyone in your group depends on. Take only medicines that are labelled, because an unlabelled loose tablet cannot be identified reliably. No doses are given here; dosing belongs with a reference and, where possible, a clinician.
Part of Tier 2: Medical Supplies
Antibiotics, pain relief, anti-diarrhoeals, antihistamines and a person’s own long-term drugs make up the short list; finding, ageing and storing them are covered in Medicine Cabinet Raid.
The Priority Groups
- Broad-spectrum antibiotics. Amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline and metronidazole are the four named in the priority list. Antibiotics are the hardest group to replace, since they cannot be made without a pharmaceutical laboratory. They treat bacterial infection and do nothing for viral illness.
- Pain relief. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen (paracetamol) and aspirin. Each has situations where it is the wrong choice; see Pain & Fever Management.
- Anti-diarrhoeal. Loperamide. Diarrhoea kills through dehydration, which is why this group ranks high; rehydration comes first, see Dehydration Treatment.
- Antihistamines. Diphenhydramine for allergic reactions; it also causes drowsiness and is used for sleep and nausea.
- Epinephrine auto-injectors. For severe allergic reaction. A degraded auto-injector may still be better than none during anaphylaxis, but the storage and degradation caveats apply; see Medications That Genuinely Expire.
- Insulin and chronic-disease medicines. If anyone in your group needs them, they are irreplaceable. Insulin needs a cold chain; plan for that before taking it.
Taking Only What You Can Identify
A medicine is only a resource if you know what it is and what it is for. Prefer original packaging with the name and strength printed. Imprint codes and blister markings help, but identification by appearance alone is unreliable; see Where to Find Medications.
Where To Look
Pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, veterinary clinics and homes. Pharmacies and hospitals are the richest and most contested.
Common Mistakes
- Collecting many kinds and no reference. A drug guide is part of the kit; see Reference Books & Maps.
- Treating antibiotics as a cure-all. They help bacterial infections only, and each drug has conditions where it should not be used.
- Forgetting dependents. A person who relies on a heart, seizure or diabetes drug needs it without a gap.
Safety
Do not take or give a medicine you cannot identify, and do not guess a dose
Acetaminophen (paracetamol) overdose causes no obvious symptoms for the first day and then causes liver failure that can be fatal; many cold and flu tablets contain it in addition to the pain tablet, so combined products can add up silently. Never rely on a number remembered from elsewhere. Use a reference or a clinician.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Medicine Cabinet Raid — locating, ranking and storing drugs
- Combine with: Infection Prevention — reducing the need for antibiotics