Prescription Drug Expiration
If you’ve read Food Expiration Dates, you know that I do not agree with the people who say do not pay attention to expiration dates for food. I pay attention very closely. I think even the Best By dates can be too long. Having stored an emergency supply of food for many years, and rotating the stock, I think I have a pretty good rubber-meets-the-road viewpoint. Some food lasts nearly forever. Some is not good to eat by the expiration date. Maybe read that post.
I’m the opposite on prescription drugs.
I believe what the FDA, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Harvard Medical School say about them. They all say there was a gigantic stockpile of out-of-date meds that the US Army wanted to see if they could still use. There was extensive testing, and it showed that as long as the meds were stored correctly, they retained acceptable potency for up to 15 years longer than the expiration date… with some notable exceptions such as insulin, liquid antibiotics, and malarial meds. They also found that water purification tablets went bad quickly.
Essentially because of that study, which is apparently ongoing, the FDA recently approved expiration dates of an additional two years for a number of drugs, including: Cipro, the gold standard of antibiotics, apparently all penicillin in non-liquid form, tetracycline, and Valium, among others.
According to all reports, the telltale is not the printed expiration date. That is essentially a commercial issue. Instead, it is whether or not meds show obvious signs of deterioration.
The key to keeping meds longer is proper storage. That is simple. Store away from heat and light. Keep them in a cool closet, or whatever part of your place has the best climate control.
Not the bathroom, with it’s hot shower humidity. Not the kitchen near the stove. Not on a countertop in the sun.
Keeping moisture out is essential. Personally, whatever I have that needs low humidity, I bag in a ziplock. I’ve found that non-prescription things like B Vitamins stay fresh SO much longer that way. I bag all my AAA through 4.5V batteries for long term storage. Of course I keep everything also in their original packaging. My thought is to never take anything out of its original packaging unless it is unavoidable. It always shortens the usable lifespan.
Some non-medical people recommend putting meds in the refrigerator. I don’t think so. That does help with the temperature issue. But in my mind, condensation problems and subsequent high moisture negates any possible benefits. If you’re using something up pretty quickly, moisture is probably not a problem. But if its not being stored for a while, why bother with the refrigerator?
The above does NOT apply to meds that REQUIRE refrigeration. Of course those MUST be refrigerated. Do not ignore label instructions. They are sometimes essential to not killing yourself with some meds. Read the fine print. Read the accompanying literature. Do further research. In the case of prescription meds, maybe you will change your mind about them altogether.
I’m more into natural supplements and natural healing. Honey, for example. Colloidal Silver. Those essentially never go bad, unless you contaminate them. They are completely potent for decades… or longer.
I have found that the Hydrogen Peroxide I buy at big-box stores often loses potency before its expiration date, which actually makes sense to me. Note the packaging of HO2. Never in a see-through container. That is because the chemistry of HO2 makes it really want to turn into water. If you decant H02, it will turn to water even more quickly. A broken seal or open bottle will also diminish strength and effectiveness over time.
And this tidbit has been handed down in my family for many years: if aspirin smells like vinegar, its bad.
I think I’ll finish on a similar note: If you think something might be bad, don’t take it. Don’t eat it. Don’t drink it. Throw it away, unless your life depends on taking it. Then, as happens in the real world, you have a tough decision to make.
I hope you never have to do so. You can lessen the possibility by storing things as they should be stored.
