Decluttering medicine cabinet - expiry dates

Primrose

Decluttered the medicine cabinet the other day to get rid of out of date over-the-counter medications, thinking they would be probably dangerous or unsafe to take.

Then I found this link on the topic which is worth a read.

http://www.emedexpert.com/tips/expired-meds.shtml

Interestingly it seems that many dry OTC medications are actually still safe although over time they lose their eficasity. Liquid ones though are more dodgy.

rosie383

As someone who largely ignores food expiry dates, I have to say I am a lot more cautious with medicines, purely because, as you point out, they are not as efficient after that date.
If I did, however, go hunting for, say, an antihistamine one day and found that they were a few months out of date then I would still use them, but would make a note to buy fresh ones.
When I was a nurse, we would check every expiry date on every single medicine that we administered. Every single time without exception.
I know that a few months won't make much difference on something which is manufactured with an expiry date around 4-5 years after manufacture, but if I am going to have to put a load of chemicals into my body to treat something, I'd prefer to know that they were going to be as efficient as possible.
Don't forget folks, please take any out of date drugs to any pharmacist to dispose of. They won't ask questions, won't judge if you have stuff that is waaay older than the hills, but it is a safe way to dispose of them.

MallyGirl

My DD had a clear out of the cupboard under the sink in the bathroom and most of it went in the bin. It wasn't medicines so much, more things like calendula nappy cream and stuff for infant eczema. She is our only child and is 15! She was nearly 4 and long out of nappies when we moved to this house so we had actually moved with stuff that was already 2 years out of date.

VfM4meplse

Primrose wrote: »

Interestingly it seems that many dry OTC medications are actually still safe although over time they lose their eficasity. Liquid ones though are more dodgy.

Don't risk it, just take expired meds back to the pharmacy for disposal.

GwylimT

Out of date epi-pens can be kept as used, they aren't quite as effective but studies have shown the effect is still more than adequate. It is also handy for people like me, my doctor refuses to prescribe me two so I keep one on my person and my out of date one in the car.