# do medicines really expire? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-medicines-really-expire/275645 "2004-11-19T13:27:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-medicines-really-expire/275645/1 "2004-11-19T13:27:49Z")
I swear that I saw a thread on this somewhere, but cannot find it for the life of me, so here goes… Having lived in a developing country where self-medication is the norm and prescriptions are seldom required for most medicines, I have found it very convenient to stock up on a few drugs (especially antibiotics) that I know I might need at some point in the future, and which are much more expensive to get where I now live. However, I don’t use these antibiotics that often, and they tend to reach their expiry dates before I realise it. So what I want to know is whether these drugs really become less effective (or dangerous?) after the date, or whether this is a tactic by the pharma companies to get people to buy more or their product? ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-medicines-really-expire/275645/2 "2004-11-19T13:40:50Z")
> [@Endemic](#): > > I swear that I saw a thread on this somewhere, but cannot find it for the life of me, so here goes… > > Having lived in a developing country where self-medication is the norm and prescriptions are seldom required for most medicines, I have found it very convenient to stock up on a few drugs (especially antibiotics) that I know I might need at some point in the future, and which are much more expensive to get where I now live. However, I don’t use these antibiotics that often, and they tend to reach their expiry dates before I realise it. So what I want to know is whether these drugs really become less effective (or dangerous?) after the date, or whether this is a tactic by the pharma companies to get people to buy more or their product? See [http://www.msf.org/source/refbooks/msf\_docs/en/Catalog/D/1NT/D1NT002IEXPIRATION.pdf](http://www.msf.org/source/refbooks/msf_docs/en/Catalog/D/1NT/D1NT002IEXPIRATION.pdf) Another example is Aspirin - acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) will break down into acetic acid (vinegar) and salicylic acid over time, and salicylic acid is a **much** worse stomach irritant than acetylsalicylic acid. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-medicines-really-expire/275645/3 "2004-11-19T14:21:20Z")
All drugs are of course different. Epinephrine is always said to expire one year after dispensed (as in Epipens) but in reality it is good until it discolors, which takes 5 or 10 years. I recently had a reason to know if Hepatitis A vaccine could be kept at room temperature for a few days (the PDR says constant refrigeration) and when I called the drug company that makes it I was given to an extremely pleasant person who informed me that supplemental data indicates it can be kept at room temperature for at least three days. The long and short of it is you can call the drug company and specifically ask. It will help if you say you are a medical professional. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-medicines-really-expire/275645/4 "2004-11-19T15:35:31Z")
> [@dmartin](#): > > See [http://www.msf.org/source/refbooks/msf\_docs/en/Catalog/D/1NT/D1NT002IEXPIRATION.pdf](http://www.msf.org/source/refbooks/msf_docs/en/Catalog/D/1NT/D1NT002IEXPIRATION.pdf) > > Another example is Aspirin - acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) will break down into acetic acid (vinegar) and salicylic acid over time, and salicylic acid is a **much** worse stomach irritant than acetylsalicylic acid. That was the first one that sprang to mind for me, as well. If your aspirin starts to smell of vinegar, get rid of it. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-medicines-really-expire/275645/5 "2004-11-19T15:46:02Z")
Just as another data point, I took some sudafed that I didn’t realize was old, and ended up getting something like a mild anxiety attack. Twice. Fresh sudafed doesn’t do that to me. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-medicines-really-expire/275645/6 "2004-11-19T17:13:25Z")
**dmartin’s** link explains this, but yes drugs can change with time and/or storage conditions. They can fail to do enough (or any) good and/or actually do harm. Pharmaceutical labs do research on this, and come up with storage and expiration recommendations based on their studies. The amount and type of change can vary depending on various factors, but it’s not just a ploy to increase sales. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-medicines-really-expire/275645/7 "2004-11-20T05:15:05Z")
Drugs do expire with time and improper storage, but not usually as fast as claimed. Suspensions and liquid medicines do not age well, but many pills are good for years after the expiration date. That being said, it depends on the medicine, the consequences of NOT getting the right potency (if applicable), and whether you think taking a chance is worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-medicines-really-expire/275645/8 "2004-11-20T07:45:12Z")
IANAD, but I have worked in the drug industry. It’s just common knowledge that **You Should Not Self-Medicate With Antibiotics.** This can screw you up and another people. If you half-kill the bugs in your system by taking not enough of the drug, you can then let the remaining, more-resistant germs do a job on you. And overprescription of antibiotics in general helps create more resistant bacteria. It’s bad news. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-medicines-really-expire/275645/9 "2004-11-20T08:04:06Z")
FTR, using extremely (3+ years) steroidal inhalers makes me shake uncontrollably for the next few minutes, although they still achieve the desired effect, breathing-wise. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-medicines-really-expire/275645/10 "2004-11-20T10:54:55Z")
I’d say follow the dates on the labels. With drugs, best not to mess around and find out why you really weren’t supposed to use it after the expiry date. I also agree that it’s best not to self-medicate with antibiotics. At the very least, ask a doctor’s advice.