What are the drugs that need to be protected from light?

Although medicines are very effective, they are special items that require a strict storage environment to ensure that their effects are not weakened. Therefore, people need to understand the storage requirements for medicines. The causes of drug deterioration are mostly moisture, light, etc. Among them, light has a greater impact and can cause chemical reactions in drugs, resulting in changes in medicinal properties. Let’s take a look at which drugs need to be protected from light?

Ofloxacin, Fleroxacin, Ciprofloxacin Lactate Sodium Chloride, Moxifloxacin Hydrochloride Sodium Chloride Injection

Slow intravenous drip in a dark place is unstable to light and prone to photolysis, which reduces the antibacterial activity. The photo-promoted reaction is an exothermic reaction, which is more likely to occur in solution and under aerobic conditions. The photo-promoted reaction can not only produce degradation products, but also product polymerization.

Itraconazole injection

After mixing, avoid direct sunlight

Chlorpromazine hydrochloride, promethazine injection

It is easy to oxidize and change color, so be careful to avoid light when dripping

Vitamin injection

When added to glucose injection, it needs to be protected from light. Vitamin B12 is easily decomposed by light and should be used as soon as possible after dissolution; calcium folinate injection should be kept away from direct light and heat, while vitamin A, vitamin B6 and vitamin C only need to be stored away from light.

Epinephrine, isoproterenol, norepinephrine, dopamine, morphine, phenethylamine, etc.

It is easy to oxidize and deteriorate, so it is advisable to avoid light during infusion.

Sodium Nitroprusside for Injection

This product is sensitive to light, has poor solution stability, and decomposition is accelerated under light. After sodium nitroprusside is exposed to light, it generates excited sodium nitroprusside. It then decomposes into hydrated potassium ferrocyanide and nitrogen oxides. Hydrated potassium ferrocyanide further decomposes to produce toxic hydrogen cyanide and Prussian blue. Therefore, the injection should be prepared just before use, instilled in a dark place, and used up within 12 hours. If it turns dark brown, orange or blue, it should be discarded. (During intravenous drip, the infusion set should be wrapped with aluminum foil or opaque material to protect it from light.

Nifedipine injection

It is extremely sensitive to light and prone to photolysis.

Nitroglycerin Injection

Many plastic infusion sets can absorb this drug, so glass infusion bottles should be used, and intravenous administration must be protected from light.

Sodium p-aminosalicylate injection

Due to the decarboxylation reaction, brown m-aminophenol is generated, which is further oxidized to form diphenylquinone compounds. The amino group is easily replaced by the carboxyl group, making the solution obviously reddish brown. If the color of the solution is darker than the color when it was first prepared, it cannot be infused again.