Though nonprescription sleeping pills will remain safe to use for years after opening, they may become less potent. This can make using them more dangerous. This means that someone taking a less potent, expired sleeping pill may take additional pills to help them fall asleep, inadvertently consuming too large a dose.
To be safe, replace sleeping pills soon after they expire. If you have expired antihistamines hanging around in your medicine cabinet, they're probably still effective. Most drug companies test for effectiveness only for the first two to three years after opening, which is why labels rarely list a later expiration date.
Because diazepam, which is sold under names including Valium, is a prescription drug, there are additional guidelines for its expiration date.
Because probiotics are alive, they can become far less effective over time or if they're improperly stored. It's best to them discard based on the manufacturer's guideline, which is usually one year," Langdon said. To keep your probiotics fresh and effective, store them in a cool place away from sunlight.
Some probiotics should be kept in the refrigerator. As prescription drugs, Adderall and Mydayis should be used according to your physician's instructions and consumed within one year. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Journal List Afr Health Sci v. Afr Health Sci. Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer.
Keywords: Medication, drugs, drug expiry, drug efficacy. Licensee African Health Sciences. This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Introduction There is so much wastage of drugs as they are not used in time.
What does an expiration date mean? An independent organization could also do testing similar to that done by the FDA extension program or data from the extension program could be applied to properly stored medications 1 The United States' Center for Drug Evaluation and Research officially recommends that drugs past their expiration date be disposed. Potency and efficacy Medication's potency gradually decreases starting from the moment of its manufacture. References 1.
Drugs past their expiration date. Med Lett Drugs Ther. The Medical Letter. American Medical Association, author. Jul 25, [ Google Scholar ]. Cantrell Lee. Arch Intern Med. Efficacy, safety concern and disposal practices followed for expired drug preparations among medical personnel [ Google Scholar ]. Journal Allergy Clinical Immunology. Support Center Support Center. External link. Or you can also look at it this way: The expiration dates are very conservative to ensure you get everything you paid for.
And, really, if a drug manufacturer had to do expiration-date testing for longer periods it would slow their ability to bring you new and improved formulations. The next time you face the drug expiration date dilemma , consider what you've learned here. And if you have any questions about the safety or effectiveness of any drug, ask your pharmacist.
He or she is a great resource when it comes to getting more information about your medications. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
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