Be Prepared! Set up your home medicine chest.
A well-stocked medicine chest, kept within easy reach is a necessity in every home. Click here to purchase online.
A basic first aid kit should contain the following:
| Item |
Purpose |
| Adhesive tape |
To hold dressings in place |
| Adhesive / elastic bandages in various sizes |
To cover, dress and protect cuts & wounds |
| Alcohol swabs |
To clean and disinfect the skin (applied to skin that is not broken up to the edges of the wound) |
| Antiseptic cream or solution |
To clean and prevent infection of cuts and wounds |
| Burn ointment |
To prevent infection of burns |
| Cotton balls |
To apply medication or wash wounds |
| Eye wash solution |
To irrigate and wash the eye |
| Plasters |
To cover cuts and wounds |
| Scissors & tweezers |
To cut gauze and bandages and remove foreign objects from the skin |
| 20ml sodium chloride |
To clean wounds |
| 2 pairs of disposable latex gloves |
To prevent contamination of wounds |
| 6 safety pins |
To hold bandages together |
| Triangle bandage |
To support an injured arm |
| Sterile dressings/gauze |
To dress and clean wounds |
You may also wish to include the following supplies, as well as medication for common ailments:
| Item |
Purpose |
| Hot / cold pack |
For muscle aches and sprains |
| Medicated oil |
To relieve nasal congestion and dizziness |
| Antiseptic hand wash |
To wash hands |
| Thermometer |
To measure body temperature |
Medications:
Paracetamol
Activated charcoal
Oral rehydration salts
Calamine lotion |
For pain and fever
For diarrhoea
To prevent dehydration due to diarrhoea
To soothe insect bites & minor skin rashes |
The contents of your medicine chest will vary depending on the people in your home and their needs. Our pharmacist can help you select the appropriate first-aid supplies for your home or workplace, please call 6355 3000 (NHGP) or email to feedback@pharmacy.nhg.com.sg.
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(Updated on 28 Sep 2022)
