When do pharmaceuticals expire

How long a drug actually remains safe and effective, however, is often a matter of debate. Besides some medicines like insulin, nitroglycerin and liquid antibiotics, whose active ingredients are known to be less stable over time, many drugs might have a much longer shelf life than their packaging suggests. But not everyone knows that, so poison control centers occasionally get calls from people who are concerned because they accidentally took expired medication, said Lee Cantrell, director of the San Diego Division of the California Poison Control System.

The effectiveness of medicines, however, may degrade over time, but there are few studies on the issue, he said. That said, several years ago, Cantrell had a rare opportunity to examine an old stash of drugs — including antihistamines , pain relievers and diet pills — found in the back of a pharmacy.

Cantrell published another study in showing that EpiPens — the expensive auto-injectors used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions — retained 84 percent of their potency more than four years past their expiration dates, suggesting that in an emergency, an expired EpiPen would be better than nothing.

In Cantrell's view, pharmaceutical companies are the only ones that have the money to do long-term studies on drug's efficacy, "but there's absolutely no financial incentive for them to do it. He or she is a great resource when it comes to getting more information about your medications.

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The bathroom and medicine cabinet are not ideal places to store medications due to heat and humidity. Similarly, medications should not be left in a hot car. Medications remain most stable in dry, cool spaces away from light.

Keep the prescription bottle caps tightly closed and always keep medications out of reach of children and pets. An independent organization could also do testing similar to that done by the FDA extension program or data from the extension program could be applied to properly stored medications 1. The United States' Center for Drug Evaluation and Research officially recommends that drugs past their expiration date be disposed. It has been argued that this practice is wasteful, since consumers and medical facilities are encouraged to purchase fresh medication to replace their expired products, also resulting in additional profits for pharmaceutical firms.

Updated: August 13, , it turns out that the expiration date on a drug does stand for something, but probably not what you think it does. Since a law was passed in , drug manufacturers are required to stamp an expiration date on their products.

This is the date at which the manufacturer can still guarantee the full potency and safety of the drug. Medical authorities state that expired medicine is safe to take, even those that expired years ago. It's true the effectiveness of a drug may decrease over time, but much of the original potency still remains even a decade after the expiration date. Excluding nitroglycerin, insulin, and liquid antibiotics, most medications are as long-lasting as the ones tested by the military.

Placing a medication in a cool place, such as a refrigerator, will help a drug remain potent for many years. Solid dosage forms, such as tablets and capsules, appear to be most stable past their expiration date.

Drugs that exist in solution or as a reconstituted suspension, and that require refrigeration such as amoxicillin suspension , may not have the required potency if used when outdated. Loss of potency can be a major health concern, especially when treating an infection with an antibiotic.

In addition, antibiotic resistance may occur with sub-potent medications. Drugs that exist in solution, especially injectable drugs, should be discarded if the product forms a precipitant or looks cloudy or discolored. A study by Khanchandani on efficacy, safety concern and disposal practices followed for expired drug preparations among medical personnel, found that Ninety one percent subject responded correctly that the drug should be best stored in cool dry and dark places.

During the study they found out that majority consider expired drug use is not safe but