HEALTH NOTES
COULD TAKING OUT-OF-DATE MEDICATION BE DANGEROUS?
OUT-OF-DATE medicines and pills can probably be found lingering at the backs of cabinets and drawers in many households. But can medication that’s passed its expiry date be harmful? And will expired medicine still work?
Phil Day, superintendent pharmacist at Pharmacy2U (pharmacy2u.co.uk), says:
“Storing medicines incorrectly, or keeping them past their expiry date, could cause problems.
“Temperature can be important, some eye drops, creams, and antibiotic liquids need to be kept in the fridge. Insulin should be stored in a fridge, but some types can be kept at room temperature when they’re in use. Most other medicines are fine at room temperature
(up to 25°C) but shouldn’t be stored in direct sunlight or in very warm or cold environments. The patient information leaflet for each medicine will tell you how it should be stored.
“If medicines are kept in the wrong environment, it could make them degrade more quickly, and therefore make them less effective. It’s possible you would be more likely to experience side-effects if the medicine is no longer stable.
“Expiry dates are another thing to watch out for. You should not use the medicine after the stated date, or after the last day of the month specified. A ‘use-by’ date means you should not use the medicine after the end of the previous month. So, an expiry date of August 2020 means you should not use the medicine after August 31, but a use-by date of August 2020 means you should not use it after July 31.
“For medicines dispensed by a pharmacy, you should look at the dispensing label for further storage or expiry instructions.
“For example, some medicines may have a long expiry date on the product packaging, but on the dispensing label, it could say ‘discard 28 days after opening’. Antibiotic liquids and some specially-made medicines usually have a short expiry date, maybe just one or two weeks, depending on the product.”