Off the news: Beware heat effects on mail medications

Record-high temperatures across the U.S. have prompted doctors and pharmacists to warn that mailorder prescriptions could be eroded or made useless because of heat exposure during transport. It’s another piece of the fallout from global warming.

In Hawaii’s tropical weather zone, most folks are well aware that many items — particularly anything meant to be ingested — won’t survive a mail journey unless protectively packaged. But this warning deserves special note: Thyroid drugs, insulin, epinephrine, contraceptives and anything in an aerosol form are among medications susceptible to heat.