Understanding the stability of medications is essential for ensuring drug safety, efficacy, and shelf life. Environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, can degrade medications, reducing their potency and forming harmful byproducts. This study aims to address how heat and humidity affect the stability of two widely used over the counter drugs, ibuprofen and acetaminophen. By exploring these effects, thisstudy hopes to contribute into improving pharmaceutical storage practices and ensuring quality medications, particularly in extreme or variable environmental conditions.

To investigate this, samples of each drug were exposed to two environments: a dry setting and a humid one, where relative humidity was controlled using a saltwater solution. The samples were heated to specific temperatures for set durations and analyzed using NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and mass measurements. These methods provided insights into the extent and nature of the drugs’ decomposition under each condition.

The results revealed significant differences in the stability of the two drugs. Ibuprofen showed noticeable mass loss and the formation of an anhydride in dry conditions when exposed to high amounts of heat. However, in the humid environment, mass loss was substantially reduced, and no anhydride formed, suggesting that moisture altered the degradation pathway, potentially in line with Le Chatelier’s principle. Acetaminophen, in contrast, remained stable across all tested conditions, showing no signs of decomposition regardless of temperature or humidity.

These findings underscore the critical role of environmental factors, particularly humidity, in drug stability. The study provides valuable insights for pharmaceutical storage, transportation, and development, ensuring the safe and effective use of medications.