Home pharmacy
A well-stocked home pharmacy means routine illness doesn't require a 10pm pharmacy run, and supply disruptions don't catch you flat. It is not a substitute for prescriptions or professional evaluation. The goal is simple: have what you need for common, self-limiting conditions, and have the tools to recognize when a situation needs more than what's in the cabinet. In hurricane country like ours, treat this page as seasonal maintenance, not a one-time setup.
What to stock and why
Core over-the-counter supplies: a fever reducer and pain reliever (acetaminophen and ibuprofen, they work differently and can complement each other), antihistamines, a decongestant, an antidiarrheal, oral rehydration salts, antacids, a topical antifungal, and hydrocortisone cream. Wound care: everything in the first aid kit, plus sterile saline for irrigation. Tools: a thermometer, a blood pressure cuff if anyone has hypertension, and a pulse oximeter, a cheap little fingertip device that reads blood oxygen and gives early warning on respiratory trouble.
Oral rehydration
Dehydration from diarrhea and vomiting is a leading cause of preventable death worldwide, and a real risk for the very young, the elderly, and the already-sick everywhere. Oral rehydration solution, water with the right salt-sugar balance to promote absorption, rehydrates better than plain water. Commercial packets are cheap and shelf-stable. The WHO's homemade version: one liter of clean water, six level teaspoons of sugar, half a teaspoon of salt. Knowing that recipe and keeping the ingredients on hand is real preparedness disguised as a pantry item.
Prescription preparedness
For anyone on maintenance medications, blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid, psychiatric, seizure, a thirty-day buffer is core emergency preparedness. Ask the prescriber directly; many will write a slightly larger supply for a clearly explained preparedness reason. Keep a written list of all medications, dosages, and prescribers somewhere every household member can find, on paper, because the emergency that needs it may be the same one that killed the power.
Knowing your family health history
A written family health history, conditions that run in the family, allergies, blood types if known, serves both preventive care and any emergency where someone can't speak for themselves. Keep it in a format that works without power or internet, and review it once a year or whenever something significant changes. This is the least glamorous document you will ever maintain, right up until the moment it's the most important one.
Air quality and the Corsi-Rosenthal box
Indoor air quality is an underrated health variable during wildfire smoke, heavy pollen, or circulating respiratory illness. A Corsi-Rosenthal box, four MERV-13 furnace filters taped into a cube with a box fan on top, costs $60–80 in materials and filters air comparably to commercial purifiers costing several hundred. The design is public, proven, and a genuinely satisfying afternoon build. Search 'Corsi-Rosenthal box build' for current instructions.
Community Experiences
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