There are drugs that can be used even after their expiry date: here’s what they are and how to store them properly.
Since medicine has made great progress in the pharmacological field, many lives have been saved and in general, when you don’t feel well, a drug can be a valid help to recover more quickly.
Just think of cases of flu or other specific diseases. Having a targeted pharmacological treatment helps to eradicate the problem in less time. According to some statistics, Italians spend on average around 555 euros a year to purchase medicines, as reported by The print. In Europe, however, the expense is lower, around 359 euros per year. What is actually striking, however, is another fact: one pill in 10 ends up in the bin, as the drug expires.
This would, however, be a waste, because there are medicines that can be used beyond their expiry date. It is the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) that explains that these wastes could be avoided, as there are some drugs that can be used without losing effectiveness even after they have expired. Let’s find out together which medicines these are.
FDA conducted research on 3000 batches of drugs, and the finding was that 95% of drugs do not lose effectiveness up to a year after their expiration. Indeed, there are some drugs that could be used even 4 years after expiry and that are 25% of them.
However, it is important to keep in mind that the way the drugs were stored plays a big role in their use after expiration. Furthermore, there are some drugs that cannot be used after their expiry date.
The question essentially concerns the guaranteed stability. Anticonvulsants, anticoagulants, thyroid hormones, syrups, eye drops, vials etc., unlike solid compositions, are more likely to be sensitive when temperatures are not low.
What is good to know is that the expiry date does not define the harmfulness of a medicine, but the guaranteed stability defines it. According to the study, 88% of the drugs remaining in warehouses were still found to be good after 66 months. Among the most resistant drugs is aspirin, the principle of which can be preserved for over 10 years. For good conservation, medicines must be kept away from heat sources, kept in a cool, dry place, below 25°.