You start feeling unwell, and you realize you might have some medication from a few years ago that might be able to help you feel better.
You pull the bottle of medicine from your cabinet, and you see it expired a little over a year ago.
Do you take the medication or toss it?
This is a dilemma many patients face as medication can be costly, and some people have to frequently replace their expired — but unused — medications. However, the answer to this dilemma is not black and white, as some medications can be taken even past their expiration date while others need to be disposed of.
The expiration date is the final day that the manufacturer guarantees the full potency and safety of a medication.
It’s always best to use medications that are not expired; however, some medications can be taken past their expiration date but should not be consumed without consulting your pharmacist. If a medication is essential for a chronic and potentially life-threatening disease, such as a heart condition, cancer treatment, seizure, or life-threatening allergy, be sure to get a new prescription before it expires and keep up with refills as a best practice.
Once consulting with a licensed pharmacist about which medications are safe to keep and take and which ones you should dispose of, we highly recommend purging your medicine cabinets and other spaces where you store medication. Hence, there is no mix-up of which medications are safe to take and which are unsafe to take.
For proper disposal, you can take medication to FDA sanctioned drug-take-back site. If you do not have one near you or can not take your medications there, you can either flush medications down the toilet on the flushable list or properly dispose of medication in the trash can. If you need a new prescription for a new condition, be sure to speak to your healthcare professional at your earliest convenience or visit an urgent care center to get a new script.1
Knowledge Is Power, And We Love To Share It With You
Here at GeniusRx, we believe the more you know, the better. That’s why our team is always happy to answer any questions and provide you with accurate information about your medications. Be sure to check out our website for more FAQs or jump into a chat with a pharmacist at any time straight from our website or give us a call with any questions.
Our team works hard to help you save money on thousands of FDA-approved medications and ensuring you receive them as quickly as possible with free delivery. If you ever need us, we are always a click or call away.
Get to know more about who we are and our role in healthcare. Contact us today or visit our website for more information.
Be sure to give our pharmacy a call at (800) 964 9654.
Data and information from:
(1) FDA
