# Medication Expiration Dates



## Prepadoodle (May 28, 2013)

I've been poking around a bit, trying to settle the issue of expiration dates, and found that there have been studies on this very topic.

Short version: The vast majority of medications in tablet or capsule form maintain their usefulness for many months after their expiration date. Those in liquid form don't fare as well, but some of these remain viable for a long time too.

FEMA has millions of doses of various meds stockpiled. They took a look at this in their SLEP, or Shelf Life Extension Program. Their initial study examined various medications that were up to 10 years beyond their expiration date. The findings of this study were published in _The Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vol. 95, No. 7, July 2006_. This study's findings are restricted on the gov's site, but they are available (for a fee) HERE. Or, you could visit your local medical library or go HERE and click the attachment link at the bottom of the article to download a pdf version.

The results of a more recent study were published in _Vol 172, Number 21, JAMA Internal Medicine (formerly the Archive of Internal Medicine) 26 Nov. 2012_, in an article titled, "_Stability of Active Ingredients in Long-Expired Prescription Medications._" This study is interesting because a lot of the meds they tested were 28 to 40 years past their expiration date! This article is available online HERE

Rather than open myself (or this site) to possible liability if this information is misused or misunderstood, I have provided links to the studies' findings rather than just post the info. As always, use great care when dealing with any medication.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Thanks. Great resource.


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## Prepadoodle (May 28, 2013)

*NOTE: This information is not to be considered as medical advice. If you are sick, seek real medical aid. Don't self-diagnose, and don't self-medicate. I'm not a doctor, the information posted here is a layman's opinion, and not to be confused with medical fact in any way, shape, or form. I'm providing this information for entertainment purposes, do your own research before deciding what's right for you.*

Some have suggested that antibiotics in particular can become toxic if used past their expiration date. As far as I can tell, this is (or was) especially true with the tetracycline "family" of antibiotics. The only studies I can find relating to this are 20+ years old, and I understand that the formulation of these antibiotics has been changed to minimize the risks specifically related to this kind of toxicity. (older stores of tetracycline might cause liver damage)

However, tetracycline is an old school, 1st generation antibiotic, and many of the things treated with it have developed a resistance. There are better choices available, so there's really no reason (at least as I see it) to stockpile tetracycline. As one example, amoxicillin had 0 failures in the 23 lots tested in the SLEP, making it a good choice for anyone not allergic to penicillin.

I found it interesting to note that aspirin degrades to the point of uselessness in relatively short order. Acetaminophen, on the other hand, did not.


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