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and that require refrigeration such as amoxicillin suspension , may not have the required potency if used when outdated.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 Loel Dawis, expiration date chief said that with a handful of exception notably nitroglycerin, Insulin and Liquid antibiotic most drugs are probably as durable as the agency tested.
A study done by Simons on outdated EpiPen and EpiPen Jr auto injectors: past their prime, noted that, drugs differ in terms of their forms, dosage, and stability. Usually, drugs in liquid forms e. Medication's potency gradually decreases starting from the moment of its manufacture. This process is not in any way spontaneous after the expiry date.
Expired drugs have not necessarily lost their potency and efficacy. The expiration date is only an assurance that the labeled potency will last at least until that date. Even 10 years after the expiration date many pharmaceuticals retain a significant amount of their original potency.
Solid dosage forms, such as tablets and capsules, are most stable past their expiration date. Drugs that exist in solution or as a reconstituted suspension may not have the required potency if used when outdated. The aim of the SLEP program was to reduce medication costs for the military. I discover some perfectly good food of uncertain age in the refrigerator.
She wants to throw it away — better safe than sorry! I say if the color looks right, it smells like food, and tastes alright, we should eat it. And with that another perfectly good pasta dish or was that chicken? We have similar discussions about expired medications. I'd heard medications were often safe and effective well past their expiration date ; she's ready to throw them out if they're even close to the date on the bottle.
The U. Air Force started a study in described here and later extended it to other military services in the early s. The military had gathered a stockpile of medications worth more than a billion dollars that were close to or past their expiration dates. No one wanted to throw away expensive medications that might still be safe and effective.
So the drugs were extensively tested with oversight by the U. Well, sort of. Before ignoring expiration dates on medications, there are a few caveats to keep in mind:. A column published in Psychopharmacology Today offers some advice. 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. Most of what is known about drug expiration dates comes from a study conducted by the Food and Drug Administration at the request of the military.
With a large and expensive stockpile of drugs, the military faced tossing out and replacing its drugs every few years. So, the expiration date doesn't really indicate a point at which the medication is no longer effective or has become unsafe to use. Medical authorities state if expired medicine is safe to take, even those that expired years ago. A rare exception to this may be tetracycline, but the report on this is controversial among researchers.
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.
Is the expiration date a marketing ploy by drug manufacturers, to keep you restocking your medicine cabinet and their pockets regularly? You can look at it that way. Or you can also look at it this way: The expiration dates are very conservative to ensure you get everything you paid for. And, really, if a drug manufacturer had to do expiration-date testing for longer periods it would slow their ability to bring you new and improved formulations. The next time you face the drug expiration date dilemma , consider what you've learned here.
And if you have any questions about the safety or effectiveness of any drug, ask your pharmacist. He or she is a great resource when it comes to getting more information about your medications.
0コメント