Every home should have some basic supplies that will come in handy in times of illness or injury. Most bathroom cabinets are chock full of miscellaneous stuff, but often they don’t contain the most important items that may be needed in an emergency.

When I recently surveyed the medicine cabinets and first aids kits of my friends and family (with their permission, of course), I found enough expired medicines to stock a small pharmacy. Half-used tubes of gooey ointment which expired in the late 1980s elicited comments such as, “oh, that was for that weird rash I had after I got back from Mexico” and “I think that was for diaper rash” (this from a mom whose youngest is in high school now). Partially finished bottles of antibiotics and prescription pain pills were common too. These medicines can be dangerous in the wrong hands and should be thrown away.

In your next spare half-hour, go through your medicine cabinet and first aid supplies. If anything is long expired or if you don’t know what it’s for, get rid of it.

Then, line up all your good stuff and compare it to the list below. Any items that are missing should go on your shopping list.

Buying generic brand medicines is fine. I have listed some common trade names in parentheses. I don’t recommend buying those huge bottles (250 tablets or more) of pills, because they often expire before you use them all. I also worry that large quantities of pills could be dangerous in the wrong hands.

Contents of a well-stocked home medicine cabinet:

Acetaminophen (Tylenol): for fever, headache or other pain

Aspirin or Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or Naproxen (Naprosyn): these all are anti-inflammatories for headache, menstrual cramps, muscle aches or other pain; they also work for fever

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or Chlorphenaramine: an antihistamine for allergies and allergic reactions like hives and itchy rashes

Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed): a decongestant for sinus and nasal congestion

Dextromethorphan cough syrup: many cough syrups also contain acetaminophen, antihistamines and/or decongestants, so read the label carefully

Pepto-Bismol: for upset stomach, nausea and diarrhea

Calcium carbonate (Tums, Maalox, Mylanta): for indigestion and heartburn

Saline eye drops: to flush foreign objects out of the eye

Hydrocortisone cream: for itchy rashes and eczema

Anti-fungal ointment: for athlete’s foot, jock itch, ringworm or other fungal infections of the skin

Antibiotic ointment (Neosporin): to prevent infection of wounds

Adhesive bandages (Band-Aids) of assorted sizes

An ACE bandage: for wrapping up sprained ankles or wrists

Gauze pads (3×3 or 4×4 size, also in rolls): for dressing wounds

First aid tape: for taping gauze over wounds

Thermometer: for measuring temperature during a fever

Tweezers: for removing splinters or other foreign bodies

Syrup of Ipecac (especially important for families with children): causes vomiting and may be recommended by Poison Control in cases of medicine overdose or poisoning

Latex gloves: to protect yourself and to reduce the risk of infection when touching open wounds

First Aid manual

Having a medicine cabinet stocked with these items may prevent a frantic middle-of-the-night search for a 24-hour pharmacy, and could even prevent a trip to the emergency room.

If anyone in your household has health problems or is taking any medicine regularly, check with their health care provider to be sure that these over-the-counter medicines are safe for them. Aspirin should not be given to children or teenagers who have the flu or chicken pox because of the risk of Reyes’ Syndrome, which can be fatal.

Make sure all the adults in your household know where these medical supplies are kept and what they’re used for. And of course, keep all medicines out of the reach of children.