Top medicaitons for SHTF

[coyote398]

This question might be best answered by our our Doctors of Pharmacists .

What would be the best or top 10-15 medications for long term survival, or expanded times without a doctor or adequate medical facilities available?

If SHTF (Society Hits The Floor), and society collapses, the top long term survival strategies has always been Food, Water, Shelter, Security, and Medicines.

There are plenty of websites that advocate having a good first aid kit, which is always a good idea, but the best first aid kit is not going to stop an infection, treat a UTI, or clear up a bad sinus infection. There are some great homeopathic approaches which can and should be used, but HE also provided us with Penicillin for just those reasons.

What I would like advice on, is assuming medically trained family members (EMT/RN/PA for example) be medications to should be stocked and then stored for long term survival. Of course, Mercks Diagnosis and Therapy manuals and other reference books made available.

This might seem like an easy task, but we need to think at the chemical structural level here, as some medications are chemically unstable, thus have shorter half lives. Cipro, for example is a structurally stable chemical compound. So that is the intended direction here =What medications would be best for long term survival/storage use.

Other factors to consider should be...

lack of lab testing. So the 'broad spectrum' antibiotic approach should be used. -IE infections above/below diaphragm. Respiratory/GI/skin infections require different treatments, but again, think survival and not pick up script at your local Walgreens.

Anesthetics - Is Lidocaine structurally stable? Does it go bad? Which is better? Premix in 1% glass/plastic vials or powder form then mix with water as you need it?

Assuming no allergic reactions, which is better? IM injection of antibiotics or oral route? Again, think long term, storage, space/weight restrictions.

In summary, what would be the best or top 10-15 medications one would need to provide for family health when SHTF or when doctors are not available? And then the best storage of those medications in ideal, then less than idea conditions?

Edited July 7, 2011 by coyote398
Clarify Society

[pam]

I'm hoping SHTF doesn't stand for what I think it stands for.

Edited July 7, 2011 by pam

[coyote398]

When Society Hits The Floor!

[pam]

Not what I or a few others thought it meant. But thanks for the clarification.

[NeuroTypical]

Hi Coyote,

We're not nearly heavyweight enough on this happy little preparadness board to handle such a weighty discussion. I'd recommend survivalblog, or maybe the Got Lamp Oil forums .

That said, I'd guess that if we're talking long-term scenario here, you basically get used to doing without stuff like medication. Herbal remedies and stuff you can make yourself will have to do. I know folks are big on homestyle remedies passed down from great-great-grandma and the depression, but you have to temper that with what we know abut modern medicine. (Mercury poultices and bloodlettings and whatnot will kill you today just like they did back then.)

LM

Kudos for the quick save on what SHTF means, though. (We also would have accepted when the Stuff Hits The Fan.)

[shdwlkr]

This is a very hard question to deal with first what medications are you or your family taking on a regular basis, what is the shelf life of these medications.

Second what medications for what purpose are you thinking of, are you thinking of nuclear war, conventional war, natural disaster, what I ask this because each would change what you would want in your home medication store house.

Third many of the current used medicines have shelf lives that are much shorter than older medications and the other really big issue is can you get them without a prescription?

[coyote398]

That is a hard question, thus posting for help. As for the intent of this, let's focus of the general medications, and not 1 specific item for specific events (nuclear, bio, chem, natural, ect). Of course, if family member requires a specific medication, that can be specifically researched then stocked appropriately. This question is for general long term "doctor/Walgreens absent" medication stockpiling.

And yes, prescriptions from a license medical provider is available for all these, and once specific information/research is obtained, many of you should share this data with your personal physicians to gauge their interest in helping you stock your own medications.....again, having medical trained personnel available in your family. Otherwise, medications without knowledge/training is deadly.

[shdwlkr]

All right you want general then pick which antiseptic will have long term storage.

[pam]

Antiseptics, with any other like product, have shelf lives. It's keeping track of the shelf life and when to replace that is important.

[lds2]

I found this by googling, but it is one of many such articles...look for the OTC drugs which could be helpful and why.

TEOTWAWKI Preventive Medicine, by Dr. Bob - SurvivalBlog.com

[Cacinok]

Check this podcast from the survival podcast. link The doctor goes over a lot of common medical problems in SHTF events.

Also, check out The Survival Medicine You Tube channel.

[I_Can_See]

I personally feel that learning your herbal medicines is the best bet for long term. I spend a fair amount of time studying herbal plants and know a lot of the basic can be covered by local plants, such as anti-septic, anti-bacterial, anti-spasmodic, analgesic, expectorant, etc. But if you have to have a specific medication then you will have to research per case. I try to store a years supply of basic medications because I have kids that I know will get sick, and in an emergency situation you won't have time to make many of your own meds. Of course the best security against End of Days illnesses and ailments is to have worthy priesthood holders with you.

Testimony: Since I started eating right and using medicinal plants I haven't gotten sick once (2 years) and I have school age children so...