It’s easy to see why we should care about the expiry dates of medications. In addition to protecting consumers from harmful side effects, expired drugs may cause bacterial growth and thus no longer be as effective as they once were. Despite this danger, manufacturers of medicines must ensure that their products work as advertised, otherwise the products are thrown away or even tampered with. Listed below are the reasons why expired medicines need to be discarded.
The expiry date of pharmaceutical products is mandated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA lists the risks associated with using expired drugs. These include loss of chemical composition, loss of strength, and the risk of bacterial growth. In a study conducted in the 1980s, the US military discovered that 90% of medications could still be effective 15 years after their expiration date. But is it really worth the risk?
The FDA, which sets expiry dates, understands that many drugs can have a long shelf life. However, the FDA has no incentive to test a drug beyond its labeled expiration date. Moreover, it is costly and time-consuming for companies to extend the shelf life of a product. In addition, most companies would rather focus on developing new drugs or developing new products than wasting resources testing. Therefore, the CDC and other health organizations have to work on this problem together to ensure that they can deliver on their promises.
The FDA and pharmaceutical companies have also taken action to extend the use-by dates of expired drugs. The FDA has now extended the expiry date of stockpiled drugs. This has helped lower costs associated with pharmaceutical research and development. As a result, many more prescriptions are now available on the market. If you have expired drugs on hand, it’s crucial that you get rid of them before the expiration date. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
While medicine has a relatively short shelf life, it can also be dangerous to use it too long. Therefore, it’s important to follow the instructions on the bottle to avoid risk. Besides the expiry date, medicines also need to be stored in a safe place. The correct place to store them depends on the type of medicine, its storage requirements, and the amount of oxygen or light they have been exposed to. This is why you should always follow the directions printed on the label and store your medicines in the right place.
Some medications, such as antihistamines, should be used prior to their expiry dates. Although expired Tylenol may still be effective in the event of an emergency, it’s not safe for a chronic condition like heart failure. Even though they may have an expiry date, they may still cause a heart attack, which is potentially life-threatening. If you’re worried about taking expired medications, call your doctor for a refill.
