What to do with old iodine pills?

as a rule of thumb for stocking and rotation, "If you don't remember when you did it last, do it now."
i don't remember when i bought the iodine tablets in my belt kit, so i know they need replacing.
OK, i'll go to Wiley's, or the milsrup store, or Academy, etc...
What do i do with the old ones?

Some pharmacies take old and expired meds that they will properly dispose of. You may try calling a couple in your area and see if they will accept the iodine pills (and any other old meds you may have sitting around)for disposal...

It isnt rocket surgery.

Flush them and throw away the bottle.

Or just toss the whole bottle.

From what I've heard and read, iodine tabs have a pretty long shelf life -- 5 to 10 years.

While it would be wise to buy fresh ones, I wouldn't toss the old ones because they may have some protection left in them.

If we're in that kind of emergency and I had no iodine pills (say I was a neighbor), I'd gladly take the old ones if a radioactive cloud were coming my way.

In that kind of calamity, if my food stores ran down I'd be less picky about canned food expiration dates, too. Those things aren't precise and are related to liability as well as safety and freshness.

And now I'm going to do more research on potassium iodine tabs. Thanks for raising this. I bought some last year but haven't looked closely at them lately.



15. Is there a shelf life for KI?

The shelf life approved by FDA for different manufacturers of the drug ranges from five to seven years. However, if properly stored (protected from air, heat, light and moisture), KI can maintain its form for many years without significant degradation.


http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emerg-preparedness/protect-public/ki-faq.html

What is the shelf life of KI tablets?

As with all drug products, the manufacturer must specify an expiration date of the drug on either the package or the individually wrapped tablet. The NRC distributes two tablet strengths of potassium iodide, 130 and 65 mg tablets. The shelf life of IOSAT 130 mg tablets is 7 years and the shelf life of ThyroSafe 65 mg tablets is 6 years.

For States interested in extending the shelf life of KI, the FDA has published guidance on shelf life extension for the tablet form of potassium iodide. Extending the shelf life of KI tablets is possible due to the inherent stability of the chemical form. However, the tablets must be stored under the conditions specified by the manufacturer to be considered for shelf life extension. In addition, this guidance only is intended for Federal agencies and State and local governments that maintain KI stockpiles under the conditions specified by the manufacturer.

The liquid formulation of KI also has a shelf-life of 5 years. The extension guidance does not apply to this product form.

Is it safe to take KI tablets with an expired shelf-life?

Yes,potassium iodide tablets are inherently stable and do not lose their effectiveness over time. Manufacturers must label their products with a shelf-life to ensure that consumers purchase safe and useful products.

According to FDA guidance on Shelf-life Extension , studies over many years have confirmed that none of the components of KI tablets, including the active ingredient, has any significant potential for chemical degradation or interaction with other components or with components of the container closure system when stored according to labeled directions. To date, the only observed changes during stability (shelf-life) testing have been the failure of some batches of KI tablets to meet dissolution specifications. Some tablets tested required slightly longer than the specified time to achieve dissolution. Even in the case of a failure of this sort, the product remains usable. In such cases, instructions can be provided to crush the tablets and mix them with a juice or other liquid prior to administration as suggested for emergency pediatric dosing.

I just Googled Potassium Iodide in regard to pets. My pup is a big part of my preparedness planning.

http://www.aaoobfoods.com/nbcinfo.htm#pets?

Can I give it to my pets?

There have been no studies concerning animals and the administration of Potassium Iodide for radiation emergencies. Like humans, animals do not normally have any allergic reaction to limited doses of Potassium Iodide. For animals with no known iodine allergies (ask your vet) it is a relatively safe drug. If you wish to administer potassium iodide to your pet, follow the Iosat dosing chart amounts listed above in the "What is the dosage?" info and give the appropriate dosage based upon weight. For instance, the dosage for a 2-year-old child would be 32mg (1/4 tablet). If an average 2-year-old weighs 25 -30 lbs., a dog weighing the same would take the same dosage, 32mg (1/4 tablet). If a 2-week-old infant weighs on average 9 lbs., then you would give a 9 pound cat/dog 16mg (1/8 tablet). Crush it up and put it in their food. Please consult with a vet in advance to make sure your pet can safely take Potassium Iodide.

Note: Iodine is found in table salt, fish oil, kelp, daily vitamins, etc.)

Dagny, I assumed he was talking about iodine water purification tablets, rather than potassium iodide.

For water purification tablets, well, let me quote Red Green: "The human kidneys are a remarkable filtration system."

Or, treat water as directed, decide you're not thirsty, dispose of water appropriately.

Thanks for the info Dagny. I need to get some. While I'm not in a high risk area, they probably are a good thing to have in the times we live in.

Re pets, probably highly unlikely there would be any allergic reactions and if you were in the situation to need them, there wouldn't be any other choice.

I've used trace mineral and iodized salt blocks for years with horses and my dogs have licked them in the fields with no harm.

In general, it's better to avoid the habit of flushing medicines or many household chemicals, like cleaners and disinfectants, down the toilet or drain. Obviously, there are case-by-case exceptions where it may be all right. But disposing in the trash is preferable since a well designed landfill will minimize the chance of the drugs leaching into the water supply or affecting wildlife or aquatic animals.

We can already detect a whole range of pharmaceuticals in our tap water and no one knows what long term effect they may have on us. We should do what we can to minimize adding to the contamination by not flushing more chemicals down the drain.

Edit: Like others, I was thinking KI pills, not water purification tablets. Hmm, I think I would still advise tossing them in the trash than down the toilet, though, although there is probably little harm.

Oh, I thought he was talking about potassium iodine too.

The date of manufacture is stamped on the side of the iodine potable water tabs. The link below explains how to read it. They should be replaced every 4 years if unopened and stored in reasonable conditions.

http://www.pharmacalway.com/FAQ.html

nice to know in either case, but i was asking about the water-purification tabs.