Recently published review of potency expired meds,28 to 40 YEARS old, suggests that many are still usable.

http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1377417

unfortunately you need you need to subscribe to see the full article.

Good review of article here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/08/us-expired-drugs-idUSBRE89712R20121008

and

http://newsfeedresearcher.com/data/articles_m41_3/drug-cantrell-medication.html

Thanks for those links, Marduk, that is extremely useful information!

My dog's veterinarian has long advised that I keep "expired" meds (including salves) because they can still be very effective.

Some drugs will lose a bit of potency as they age. For the vast majority of drugs any of us are likely to take, who cares? If I pop a 325mg Tylenol into my mouth, but because it's ten years old it only functions at the 320mg level, is that a big deal?

This may not be the case for drugs that have very tight dosages for your particular condition. Something like digoxin is not a drug I would take after its expiration date, except under dire circumstances.

Chances are the reduced potency old pill will not hurt you any, it just may not help you as much as it would have at its full original potency.

The expiration date on drugs is determined by the drug companies. They have to store and test the meds for the time frame they want. Most pills are tested for two to three years. For a drug company to give an 5 to seven year expiration date they would have to store and test the drug for that long to assure full potency. Since there is no incentive to the drug company to do this they only have short dates. They want you to throw out old drugs and buy new. The US military on the other hand stockpiles many common drugs and tests them to make sure they retain potency. It's cheaper for them to test periodically than to keep throwing out large quantities of meds. Most pills last for years past their dates. Here's one article I found.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/771253/study_highlights_debate_over_drug_expiration_dates/

The article is not totally accurate. Taking outdated tetracycline can cause kidney damage (Fanconi Syndrome).


"Still, he said, to his knowledge there has only been one report of a drug that got toxic after it had expired, and that was due to an inert ingredient in one particular manufacturer's formulation.

"Beyond that there has never been a well-documented case of any expired medication that became toxic," Cantrell said."

Do you think this applies to my Katadyn Micropur water purification tablets?

I have a tendency to burn myself in the kitchen. Therefore I have experience in treating first and second degree burns with Silver Sulfadiazine. The jar I have has an expiration date September 2012. Does anyone know how long this would last?

Jeanette Isabelle

No, however they will not be as effective as new over time. If you can whiff chlorine after prescribed working time, though, they should be g-t-g.

+1 - all the "...cycline" meds are potentially toxic after they go out of date. Too many unknown (environmental) variables to say exactly what that date may be, so best to go with the package date. There are acceptable substitutes for these antibiotics in SHTF situations. Use as prescribed...

The rest of the antibiotics (that I know of) all are effective LONG after their FDA-required stated "expiration" date.