Expired Drugs - Should You Purge Your Medicine Cabinet Regularly?
Have you ever wondered about a drug expiration? Where does it come from?
Simply put, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that drug companies determine a time limit to which they can guarantee the full potency and safety of medications. Most medications are given an expiration date of 1-5 years, because their manufacturers can guarantee that the drug will maintain its full potency for at least that period of time. But does this mean that the medication becomes harmful after the expiration date? Not exactly...
Consider the following: the U.S. military maintains a large supply of medications. Replacing them every few years would be extremely costly for the government, so the FDA and the Department of Defense (DOD) conducted a study called the FDA-DOD Shelf Life Extension Program. This study found that 88% of the 3,005 tested drug lots (122 different medications) were stable and potent for an average 66 months after the expiration date. The medications tested included antibiotics and other medications needed for military purposes. Other studies found other medications to be stable from 1-35 years after expiration date.
The expiration date protects the manufacturers from liability should a medication lose its potency after it arrives in the hands of the consumer. Of course, this date applies to unopened drugs that are stored in optimal conditions. So should we throw out medications after they Here the bottom line:
The only risk of using an expired medication relates to the possible lack of its potency. Drugs like nitroglycerin, insulin, liquid antibiotics, and any medications used to treat potentially life-threatening conditions, should be discarded after their expiration date. Any medication that has changed color, looks cloudy, or has a precipitate, should be discarded as well. However, you will most likely get the same relief from your regular aches and pains by taking Tylenol or Motrin that expired a few months ago, or calm your eczema itch by using old cortisone cream. Just remember to store your medicines in a cool and dry place (not your bathroom!) to assure that they retain their potency for a long time.