Shelf Life of Meds

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Readymom
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Shelf Life of Meds

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AVIAN FLU TALK

Originally posted by debtrag , Avian Flu Talk
* Link Unavailable. This site is no longer active and available to view on line. But the info was good and we wanted to keep sharing it!

Also my aunt is a pharmacist and my vet has given the same advise about meds. The expiration date does not necessarily mean that it is bad. Cough meds, liquid tylenol, pills. It means that it is loosing some of its potency. Liquid anitbiotics MUST ALWAYS be discarded after 7-10 days though. Liquid amoxicilliam will begin to mold and even though I have given it to cats after 3 weeks, I definitely would not give it to a human.
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Originally posted by slcmom , Avian Flu Talk
* Link Unavailable. This site is no longer active and available to view on line. But the info was good and we wanted to keep sharing it!

My hub is a scientist and meds are a little different. Some lose potency, some INCREASE in potency. While they also do not magically go bad on their expiration date, they are only tested to the expiration date so anything after that is a gamble.
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Drugs may outlast label date

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Drugs may outlast label date
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05150/512789-114.stm

Billions may be discarded due to makers' expiration time
Monday, May 30, 2005
By Michael Woods, Post-Gazette National Bureau

With a migraine headache threatening, reach for Imitrex, the prescription drug that brings these debilitating headaches to a screeching halt. The pharmacy label warns: "Discard after February 2005." Those tiny tablets cost $16 each, almost their weight in gold.

Can you still take it in May? Ask the same questions for scores of other prescription drugs, which cost people in the United States more than $160 billion annually.

The expiration dates on jugs of milk and cartons of yogurt tell consumers when a product goes bad. That may not always be true with the labels on prescription drugs, according to research that includes a little-known government testing program.

Government tests have found that some drugs stay fresh for years longer, ... ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Shelf Life of Meds

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Expiration of Meds

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Expired, or Not Expired… That is the Question
https://tracemypreps.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/expired-or-not-expired-that-is-the-question/

What medications* do we keep in our preps? We store: 1) over-the-counter (OTC) drugs: ibuprofen (Motrin), acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, diphenhydramine (Benadryl), pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), loratadine (Claritin), guaifenesin (Mucinex), and 2) antibiotics (that I recently posted about): amoxicillin, cephalexin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, metronidazole.

How long can they be stored? They have expiration dates, does that mean they go bad?

Let’s start with --- CONTINUEd at LINK, above ---
Last edited by Readymom on Thu Feb 25, 2021 5:42 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Shelf Life of Meds

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Expiration Dates-of Medicines

:!: :!: RECOMMENDED READING :!: :!: Invaluable information regarding expiration dates of medicines!

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The Truth About Expiration Dates
http://www.doomandbloom.net/the-truth-about-expiration-dates-2/

As a physician, I get a lot of questions about expiration dates on medications and whether medications should be thrown out once they hit that date. Those of us in the preparedness community accumulate medicines for use in an uncertain future. Part of the uncertainty is if and when a collapse situation will descend on our society. Even government agencies wonder if their medical supplies will still be effective; it’s time to clear the air about what an expiration date really means.

Expiration dates have been mandated for medications since 1979. This is what they mean: The expiration date is the last date that the pharmaceutical company will guarantee that the drug is at 100% full potency. There is nothing, except in very rare cases, that suggests ... --- CONTINUED at LINK, above ---
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Re: Shelf Life of Meds

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Tetracycline-Shelf Life

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      • :!: :!: :!: DO NOT KEEP THIS MEDICATION PAST EXPIRATION DATE! :!: :!: :!:
From the American Preppers Network forum:
* Link Unavailable. This site is no longer active and available to view on line. But the info was good and we wanted to keep sharing it!

:arrow: (Original post by "IceFire") Add this one to the list of things that DO have a definite expiration:

Tetracycline. It DOES have an expiration, and as it degrades, becomes QUITE toxic! There was a case back in the 1980s wh ended up accidentally killing his entire family by giving them expired tetracycline for colds (Shouldn't be using antibiotics for colds anyway, but that's beside the point). I read about it in a medical journal when I worked at our vet clinic overseas.
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Re: Shelf Life of Meds

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Shelf Life-Study -PDF File

Stability Profiles of Drug Products Extended Beyond Labeled Expiration Dates
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3525372-Stability-Profiles-of-Expired-Drugs.html

Revised January 6, 2006; Accepted March 17, 2006
Published on line in Wiley InterScience (http://www.interscience, (http://www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jps.20636

ImageINTRODUCTION
The concern that expiration dating may markedly underestimate the actual shelf life of drug products has been an issue.1–3 The American Medical Association (AMA) recently reviewed the procedures for setting pharmaceutical expiration dates and the clinical and fiscal consequences of setting such dates.4 The AMA concluded that the actual shelf lives of some products are greater than their labeled expiration dates and acknowledged that best evidence to support this resides in the shelf life extension program (SLEP). Smaller studies have addressed the long-term stability of drug products5,6 and drug substances.7 One study determined that four products, captopril tablets, flucloxacillin capsules, cefoxitin injection, and the ophylline tablets stored under ambient temperatures maintained at least 98% of label claim for drug content for 18–170 months past the labeled expiration dates.5 In a modification to the AMA Policy H-115.983, the pharmaceutical industry, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) were urged to determine the benefits and risks associated with lengthening expiration dates and to subsequently conduct longer stability testing. In response, all of the data from the SLEP was reviewed and analyzed. As a retrospective analysis, this report summarizes extended drug product stability data collected by the SLEP over the past 20 years. ... CONTINUED at LINK, above
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Re: Shelf Life of Meds

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Shelf Life of Drugs-On Line Article About

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The Myth of Drug Expiration Dates
https://www.propublica.org/article/the-myth-of-drug-expiration-dates

Hospitals and pharmacies are required to toss expired drugs, no matter how expensive or vital. Meanwhile the FDA has long known that many remain safe and potent for years longer.

by Marshall Allen July 18, 2017, 5 a.m. EDT

(Snip): The age of the drugs might have been bizarre, but the question the researchers wanted to answer wasn’t. Pharmacies across the country — in major medical centers and in neighborhood strip malls — routinely toss out tons of scarce and potentially valuable prescription drugs when they hit their expiration dates.

Gerona and Cantrell, a pharmacist and toxicologist, knew that the term “expiration date” was a misnomer. The dates on drug labels are simply the point up to which the Food and Drug Administration and pharmaceutical companies guarantee their effectiveness, typically at two or three years. But the dates don’t necessarily mean they’re ineffective immediately after they “expire” — just that there’s no incentive for drugmakers to study whether they could still be usable. ... CONTINUED at LINK, above ...
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Re: Shelf Life of Meds

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The Hidden Truth About Taking Expired Medications
http://www.askaprepper.com/hidden-truth-taking-expired-medications/

Let’s get right to it. Your medicine cabinets look just like mine. If one equals none than its stands to reason that you have extra meds. You may even have some meds that don’t apply to anyone in your home. For me there are two motivations for having “too much” OTC medication around.

(SNIP) Because your stockpile will most likely expire, let’s explore the full story on expired medications.

In fact, good health is well worth an expiring medicine cabinet. Still, you want to be able to put these meds to use and like everything else in your stockpile you should know whether these medicines are safe to use or not. Let’s take the guesswork out of medications. ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Shelf Life of Meds

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The Truth About That Expiration Date on Your Vitamins and Medications
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/expiration-date-vitamins-medications/

Do you have vitamins, supplements, and prescription medications stored up to help you stay healthy during a worst case scenario? One thing you may have been concerned about was the expiration date on those bottles.

Placing a vitamin or medication in a cool and dry place will help it remain potent for many years. It is important for us to know this and have good supplements on hand in the case of emergencies. Read on, because you will be surprised how long they last. ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Shelf Life of Meds

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Image Hat Tip to 'Rick', over at EHP-D:

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Although, these are not prescription drugs, vitamins are important during a SHTF. Here's a good article on the expiration of vitamins and if it's safe to take them after that date:

Shelf-Life of Vitamin Supplements in a Survival Food Supply
https://theprovidentprepper.org/shelf-life-of-vitamin-supplements-in-a-survival-food-supply/

What is the actual usable shelf life of vitamin and nutritional supplements? Reasonable shelf life expectation for vitamin tablets under ideal conditions may be 10-15 years. The actual shelf life of vitamins is subject to too many variables to determine precise storage life. Vitamins gradually decrease in potency over time. Conditions that accelerate the deterioration of vitamins include; heat, light, and humidity.

I contacted 20 vitamin and nutritional supplement manufactures along with a chemical engineer in an effort to get the most accurate information on the actual shelf life of vitamins. I was surprised to find ... ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Shelf Life of Meds

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What Really Happens When You Take Antibiotics After Their Expiration Date
https://www.askaprepper.com/what-really-happens-when-you-take-antibiotics-past-their-expiration-date/

We all know that the expiration date on food is more of a guideline than a rule that has to be followed strictly – but what about antibiotics? Every medicine sold in the USA comes with an expiration date marked on the package, but a lot of us don’t take these too seriously. Medicines seem like they should last a lot better than food. Leave a Tylenol caplet and an apple on the counter and see which one rots first. No prizes for getting that one right.

Sadly it isn’t that simple, though. Medicines might not visibly spoil like food, but their active ingredients can break down over time. ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Shelf Life of Meds

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What You Need to Know About Expired Prescription Drugs
https://www.backdoorsurvival.com/expired-prescription-drugs/
The topic of using expired prescription drugs comes up frequently in survival and preparedness circles. Although there are many articles detailing with the efficacy of outdated meds, one question I get over and over again is “what do I do when the meds run out?”

Whereas there is no single clear answer, one thing we can all start to do now is hang on to our old, unused meds. For the most part and with very few exceptions, they will be viable for two to twelve years beyond their expiration date. The secret is to ... ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Shelf Life of Meds

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Storage and Shelf Life of Over-the-Counter Medication
https://commonsensehome.com/storage-and-shelf-life-of-over-the-counter-medication/

Most people give very little thought to the storage and shelf-life of over the counter medication, beyond keeping things out of the reach of children. If you stock one or emergency medical kits, you may end up storing medications for longer periods of time. How long is too long to store over the counter medication, and what’s the best way to store it? ---CONTINUED---

Includes:
-Storage and Shelf Life of Over-the-Counter Medication – How Long is Too Long?
-How to Correctly Store Medication
-Which Medications Should NOT be Taken Past Their Expiration Date
-Further Medication Safety Precautions
-Other Medical Equipment and Medication Options
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Re: Shelf Life of Meds

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Remove These 14 Things from Your Medicine Cabinet Immediately
https://www.askaprepper.com/remove-these-14-things-from-your-medicine-cabinet-immediately/

(SNIP) ... we really should clean out our medicine cabinets from time to time. Some people say that we should do so twice a year, when we change our clocks. If you can’t do that, then at least make it part of your spring cleaning; so that you know that anything in there is at least reasonably sure of still being useful. ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Shelf Life of Meds

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The Real Expiration Date of Common Drugs in Your Cabinet
https://www.askaprepper.com/the-real-expiration-date-of-common-drugs-in-your-cabinet/

Editor’s Note: This article is for information purposes only. We do not advocate for the use of medications outside their formal licensing and hold no liability for the consequences this may lead to.

(SNIP) ... the US government established the Shelf Life Extension Program (SLEP), in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to investigate and extend the shelf life of drugs commonly stockpiled for use in the military. Many were found to be safe and effective long past their licensed expiration date, and had their shelf life extended for military and emergency use. ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Shelf Life of Meds

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Shelf-Life Extension Program
https://prepschooldaily.blogspot.com/2018/11/tips-and-tricks-shelf-life-extension.html

(SNIP) ... Have you ever wondered about those "use by" dates printed on the bottles of your prescriptions and over-the-counter medications? Have you ever suspected that if, say, aspirin in a bottle labeled "use by November 2018" was safe to take on November 30, 2018, that it might also be safe to take on December 1, 2018?

Wonder no more. ---CONTINUED---
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