What do I do with expired drugs ?
The short answer would be "hang on to them - they might become useful someday".
Manufacturer's expiry dates are included on all medications, but more for historical reasons than medical reasons. Some drugs lose a bit of oomph as time goes on, but none of them turn poisonous.
I tell patients that if it is a drug where they absolutely need the full potency and it would be dangerous to fool around, they should make sure that their drugs are current.
Examples of medications I would not take if they were stale - dated are things like cardiac drugs and birth control pills.
But old pain pills, as an example, can be completely safe. They maintain their potency. And if they don't you can tell, because the pain won't go away as quickly. So just take extra.
For those who would like to review a medical journal on the subject , www.medscape.com/viewarticle/883187#vp_3 click here
Manufacturer's expiry dates are included on all medications, but more for historical reasons than medical reasons. Some drugs lose a bit of oomph as time goes on, but none of them turn poisonous.
I tell patients that if it is a drug where they absolutely need the full potency and it would be dangerous to fool around, they should make sure that their drugs are current.
Examples of medications I would not take if they were stale - dated are things like cardiac drugs and birth control pills.
But old pain pills, as an example, can be completely safe. They maintain their potency. And if they don't you can tell, because the pain won't go away as quickly. So just take extra.
For those who would like to review a medical journal on the subject , www.medscape.com/viewarticle/883187#vp_3 click here