# Prescription Expiration Dates?



## MindMagick (May 28, 2012)

How long after a Prescription Med is filled at the Pharmacy is that said Med still effective?
For the sake of this conversation, let's use a pain med such as Vicodan as an example. 
I had a single prescription for this for a surgery several years ago. Would the unused portion still be effective years later?


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## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

MindMagick said:


> How long after a Prescription Med is filled at the Pharmacy is that said Med still effective?
> For the sake of this conversation, let's use a pain med such as Vicodan as an example.
> I had a single prescription for this for a surgery several years ago. Would the unused portion still be effective years later?


I don't know about other pain meds but percodan lasted many years after date. I blew out knee and after surgery they prescribed the percodan, I did not use it all and saved it for futures needs.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I can tell you that non-prescription meds (possibly with reduced potency) still work many many years after they "expire". I have several 1,000 count bottles of Ibuprofen in my preps that were purchased on clearance. They have an expiration of 2013 and from time to time I will take 3 and they always get the job done.

But here is what Harvard med school has to say about it:

(This is why I bookmark everything that seems applicable to prepping)



> With a splitting headache, you reach into your medicine cabinet for some aspirin only to find the stamped expiration date on the medicine bottle is more than a year out of date. So, does medicine expire? Do you take it or don't you? If you decide to take the aspirin, will it be a fatal mistake or will you simply continue to suffer from the headache?
> 
> This is a dilemma many people face in some way or another. A column published in Psychopharmacology Today offers some advice.
> 
> ...


https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/drug-expiration-dates-do-they-mean-anything


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

post SHTF people will relax about expiry dates or suffer if you have an on going or multi step prescription, just use the oldest stuff first. decay depends on break down of volatile compounds, many room temp storage items have little or no volatiles in their active ingredients. but people want best before dates, and marketers love to fleece


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## jnrdesertrats (Jul 3, 2010)

This came up a few years ago and a few meds do turn deadly. Sadly I have no recollection of which ones.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

jnrdesertrats said:


> This came up a few years ago and a few meds do turn deadly. Sadly I have no recollection of which ones.





> Drugs that should never be used past their expiration date. Certain medications have a narrow therapeutic index and little decreases in the pharmacological activity can result in serious consequences for patients.
> 
> Observing the expiration date is obligatory for the following medications:
> 
> ...


http://www.emedexpert.com/tips/expired-meds.shtml#5


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

The cyclines. Tetracycline and such become toxic.


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## AmishHeart (Jun 10, 2016)

Nitro is a weird one. Mom has it on hand, and it's put in a dark brown glass bottle. It is only effective 3-6 months after opening, regardless of the original expiration date. They give her 100 tablets in that bottle, and she uses very few within 6 months, so alot is tossed.
Husband takes alot of meds. We have two shelves dedicated to his meds, and I write on the bottle what it is in larger print and the exp date. Funny thing is, most all of them are stamped that they expire in one year. I would have to believe they last longer. Daughter is in 2nd year of pharmacy school and also works at a pharmacy. She'll tell me, because I do save expired meds (antibiotic and pain pills), but gets angry if we're taking something by self prescribing. Really gets grumbly if I she finds out husband is taking some of my old painpills that I didn't use when he pulls his back out. So I don't say anything.


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## sewingcreations15 (Aug 19, 2017)

The expiration dates on medications are put there because of fear of litigation and are usually a recommendation by the pharmaceutical companies legal teams and also in some cases by government bodies.

Agree with the list above on not using after the use by dates, not sure on the tetracyclines /Cycline ones though will look into that further and ask our 2 friends on that.

It also depends on storage conditions of the medications as well and they should be kept in a cool environment.

In regards to medications I have 2 friends who are qualified medical doctors and I am an ex nurse. Note from unnamed doctor most medications will last 10 years past their expiry date loosing around 5% efficiency each year. When 50% efficiency is lost then it is time to throw them.

Hope this helps.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

sewingcreations15 said:


> The expiration dates on medications are put there because of fear of litigation and are usually a recommendation by the pharmaceutical companies legal teams and also in some cases by government bodies.
> 
> Agree with the list above on not using after the use by dates, not sure on the tetracyclines /Cycline ones though will look into that further and ask our 2 friends on that.
> 
> ...


It was my Dr, now retired, who told me to toss the cyclines. She also told me to keep a log of what we used the meds for with doses and to use a sharpie to label the bottles because the paper labels fade.


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## DrPrepper (Apr 17, 2016)

I think it is very interesting that because we are facing shortages of many drugs, the FDA extended the expiration dates on a number of critical medications. 
(https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm563378.htm)

So.... does that mean the drugs are suddenly OK? Even doxycycline, which is stockpiled for use with bioterrorism (anthrax) has had it's expiration dates extended through the Shelf Life Extension Program

(https://www.fda.gov/downloads/drugs/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/guidances/ucm554506.pdf)

I think common sense can play an important role in looking at expired medications. If it looks funny, smells funny, disintegrates easily, changes color, or anything else that may make you think twice, then toss it and do not take it.

As a licensed nurse, I have to stick to the line of following posted expiration dates. However, my personal practice and belief is that a date on a bottle does not automatically change the product when it passes that date. I can't make the recommendation of saving meds beyond their posted date; I can only tell you what I do. I am finishing a bottle of Naprosyn right now that expired in 2014 (it's a BIG bottle! )


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## MindMagick (May 28, 2012)

Thanks to ALL on the information! Greatly appreciated!!


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## sewingcreations15 (Aug 19, 2017)

Thanks terri9630 about the info and also a good idea to write the dosage on the medications in sharpie too. Something I hadn't heard or thought of but would be useful.

Agree with DrDianaAnderson too that it is common sense that plays a big part in determining if the medications are good or not too and it is usually fairly obvious too. Do however know a lot of medications last way beyond their use by dates too, pain medications being one of many. 

Interesting info on the extending the use by dates on stocked doxycycline too which proves further investigation is required by me  .

Another area to look into apart from medications is plant and herb based alternatives too and how to use them in a case of emergencies as well.

I think most if placed into the same situation as Caribou describes would roll the dice too.


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## drfacefixer (Mar 8, 2013)

AmishHeart said:


> Nitro is a weird one. Mom has it on hand, and it's put in a dark brown glass bottle. It is only effective 3-6 months after opening, regardless of the original expiration date. They give her 100 tablets in that bottle, and she uses very few within 6 months, so alot is tossed.
> Husband takes alot of meds. We have two shelves dedicated to his meds, and I write on the bottle what it is in larger print and the exp date. Funny thing is, most all of them are stamped that they expire in one year. I would have to believe they last longer. Daughter is in 2nd year of pharmacy school and also works at a pharmacy. She'll tell me, because I do save expired meds (antibiotic and pain pills), but gets angry if we're taking something by self prescribing. Really gets grumbly if I she finds out husband is taking some of my old painpills that I didn't use when he pulls his back out. So I don't say anything.


Nitro is just like Epi. It quickly loses potency within months after expiration. Is it worth keeping? Better than nothing....but if it's an anaphylactic Reaction, angina, or a heart attack you really don't have times to mess with guessing the potency. If you underdose- give the normal dose but the drug isn't as effective, you'll likely not get a life saving response. If you over adjust with epi, you might stroke out. Overdose with nitro, you'll become hypotensive go unconscious and likely end up in a unsustainable cardiac rhythm.

A lot of drugs do well past the expiration date, but it also depends on how they are stored. Cool, dry, no light. Most drugs tell you their optimum storage and if isn't in refrigerators or freezers.

Most state laws prohibit a pharmacy from greater than a year expiration if it is rebottled. If they sell you the drug in the original packing, then it's whatever the manufacturer stamps it.


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## Mase92 (Feb 4, 2013)

I think the real answers has been stated wonderfully.

Something things to keep in mind:
- Dates are a tool to regulate a regulated substance. They do it for sales as much as safety.
- As mentioned some drugs go toxic or bad over time. It's really good to know if that med you are keeping is one of those. The majority however, are safe but just lose potency.
- I will echo the words here in a few posts, common sense plays a huge role. If S does ever really HTF, having those 2 year out of date Tylenol will probably be ok.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

MindMagick said:


> How long after a Prescription Med is filled at the Pharmacy is that said Med still effective?...


Stored on the windshield dash during the hot summers or out of the sunlight in a cool dry location?

IMHO. What is the worst case scenario on how a Village Idiot stores the drug effecting the drugs' life expediency? Divide that by 1/2 and post that on the bottle could be the Attorney's recommendation.


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

Hesperian Press ("where there is no doctor") and the US Military medical manuals list how long meds will be effective after their expiration dates. The military actually did the research and I was surprised at how long things would still be effective...IF properly stored (dry and cool). Aspirin will degrade - if it smells like vinegar it has lost potency; however the 'cillin' antibiotics did not degrade though their strength would gradually diminish. You need to research which drugs will last, which will morph into something else, and make sure your storage is optimized (I keep my injectable penicillin in the refrigerator, to maintain potency, for example).


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Gene just got 'another' huge bottle of antibiotics from the VA doc.
I already have two types of fish antibiotics bought online @ Thomas Labs.
I keep them in the cool closet, vacuum sealed. I was told to not put in a freezer by a dr's nurse.
I have dosage/directions/usages written and keep with the packages.


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