Keeping Your Medicine Cabinet Up To Date
It is important to maintain and keep your medicine cabinet up to date, as expired medications can be dangerous. Here are a few tips to make keep you and your home safe.
What does an expiration date mean?
Expiration dates are the final day that the manufacturer guarantees the full potency and safety of a medication. Most medication, whether it is an over-the-counter (OTC), prescription, or dietary (herbal) supplements, labels should have this date clearly stamped on them.
Expiration dates are determined by using stability testing under manufacturing practices as determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Where can I find my medications expiration date?
For prescriptions from a pharmacy, depending on the ingredients, there may not be an expiration date on the bottle. Commonly, when a prescription is written and dispensed with a dosing schedule (such as take one tablet per day for 30 days) that will have the patient finish the drug well within the medications shelf life it may not be labeled on the bottle. If following the doctor's instructions you should not have to worry about the shelf-life of your prescription.
For medications that contain ingredients that require it to be refrigerated or medications that are compounded there will be an expiration date. If you do not see an expiration date please contact your pharmacist right away to get that information.
For bulk OTC medications such as pain relievers there should always be a date clearly marked on the bottle.
What do I do if my medication is past its expiration date?
The FDA recommends never taking any medication that is past their expiration date. There are several unknown variables that can affect the medications. Some studies have shown that some ingredients can begin to degrade and cause adverse effects to the body. They can also lose their potency which leaves dosages off and could lead a person to take more or less than needed. This is ill-advised especially when it comes to taking medication to fight off an infection.
Suspended medications or liquid dosage forms typically need to be refrigerated and should never be used past expiration date. This is especially the case if it is a medication that is injected. Liquid drugs such as eye or ear solutions, oral liquids, or topical solutions may undergo evaporation of solvents over time. This severely effects the integrity of the drug.
My medication is not expired but I don’t think it was stored correctly/it looks different.
Temperature, humidity, light, and other storage factors can affect a medications stability. If you live in an area that experiences extreme temperatures, humidity, or over exposure to sunlight always double check your medications before using them. Keep medications in a cool, dry place or in a refrigerator when called for. Proper storage of your medications insure a longer shelf life and reduces the risk of adverse reactions.
If you medication starts to become cloudy or discolored, do not use until you have contacted your pharmacist or doctor for further direction.