The FDA takes a very firm stance on expired medication, stating that "using expired medical products is risky and possibly harmful to your health" and providing advice on how to properly dispose of expired medication.
So, when it comes to expired medication, the FDA's message is clear: If your medicine has expired, do not use it. Several studies, including ones conducted by the U. Ultimately, though, it comes down to the fact that testing the longevity of a drug for decades is costly, and drug manufacturers have no financial incentive to do so. As a result, manufacturers are permitted to choose an arbitrary time frame in which to test and establish a drug's expiration date — whether that be one year or five.
This often means that the true shelf life of a particular drug is often never determined. However, there are some medications known to be less stable over time, and these medications should not be taken beyond the expiration date.
These medications include:. Despite the fact that some medications may be effective beyond their expiration dates, studies also conclude that the true shelf life of a medication varies by the:. That falls within the range deemed acceptable by the Food and Drug Administration. Given drug shortages and rising health care costs, the authors suggest in the paper that "the current practices of drug expiration dating be reconsidered.
If a drug has expired, you've got to throw it away, it goes into a landfill, and you have to get a new prescription. Don't miss your FREE gift. Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health , plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise , pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more.
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You should also make sure that you've stored the medicine properly, as described on the packaging or leaflet. If your medicine looks, tastes or smells different to when you first got it, even if it's within the expiry date, take it to your pharmacist for advice. The expiry date usually means that you should not take the medicine after the end of the month given. For example, if the expiry date is July , you should not take the medicine after 31 July
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