Arecent story from the medicine information website Drugs.com addressed a pertinent question: Can you safely use medicine that has reached its expiration date?
There are many ways to answer the question, and the best way to start is by knowing what the expiration date means. The story says it’s the final date that a drug manufacturer guarantees the “full potency and safety” of a medication.
However, for most medications, the expiration date is an arbitrary selection, often two or three years past the date of manufacture. The actual stability of a drug may be much longer than the expiration date, but that is rarely tested.
As for the safety of old medication, the story said solid products, such as tablets and capsules, appear to be the most stable after their expiration date. Liquids and medicine that requires refrigeration are less likely to be as strong as intended.
Specific medicines more likely to be unsafe after their expiration date include insulin, nitroglycerin pills and vaccines. An antibiotic past its date also is a concern, as the body may develop a resistance to the drug if its age makes it less potent than intended.
As for whether to use expired medicine, common sense is the best guide. The story says it’s always best to use medication that has not expired, especially those that treat chronic or life-threatening diseases.
In most cases, there is no evidence that expired medicine is unsafe. But using that medicine may not provide the expected relief.
Here’s one more interesting item in the story: Pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes and individuals throw away billions of dollars worth of medication each year based on expiration dates. One report estimates hospitals alone discard $800 million worth of medicines annually whose expiration date has passed.
America’s reliance on pharmaceuticals is well- documented. But this reliance is so powerful that we’re manufacturing billions more worth of drugs than we need. What a waste.
