Let’s face it, we all have unused medicine in our cabinets. That late night trip to the drug store to get some allergy medication made sense when you couldn’t breathe, but afterwards the box of used pills sits on the shelf until you need it again. The thing is, it might be months before you need the medication again and in that time you may surpass the ‘use by date’ on the box. It raises an interesting question, are drugs still effective beyond that date, or is should they be thrown out?
Researchers have looked into these very issues. The Shelf Life Extension Program (SLEP) tested the potency of drugs that were older than the ‘use by date’ and found 90% of medications remained stable for five years beyond the expiration date. All of the medications studied were kept at room temperature in their original boxes.
One medication, Tamiflu, the popular flu fighter showed its safe seven years beyond its expiration date. The FDA ran the tests, along with help from the Department of Defense, to see if “the product attributes changed during storage or shipping and if they are likely to influence quality, safety, or efficiency.”
So if drugs are ok to take long after their expiration date, why are drug maker’s so conservative with dates? Drug manufacturers have said they can only guarantee a product for so long, while critics say the date is a gimmick to get customers to toss the old meds and buy new.
About Tamiflu
Tamiflu gained popularity several years ago during the bird flu scare, and has been prescribed to combat several strains of the flu. It’s prescribed for treating adults and children 1 year and older with flu whose symptoms started within the last day or two. The drug can also reduce the chance of getting the flu in patients 1 year and older. However, doctors say Tamiflu should not be taken in place of a regular flu shot.
