Expired medicine is a devil : Is it a fact?

Once I had taken 81mg. enteric-coated aspirin, prescribed by our doctor, every day. I was suffering from Headache. Here it makes sense and it is economical, to look for this OTC medicine in larger bottles. I also take a physician-prescribed Calcium+Vitamin D caplet each day, so that I could look to save money by purchasing a larger quantity. Both of those OTC medicines had “expiry dates” on the bottles and a quick calculation is the determining factor for purchasing the larger quantities.

Any OTC  or prescription , have expiration dates on them…sometime imprinted on the bottom of the tubes. I always look for the expiration date on OTC salves and prescribed salves are dispensed in smaller quantities, as the pharmacist.


There’s no single rule specifically for expired drugs and supplements, Branding to  variety of products, regulatory requirements, and other factors that could influence a product’s safety and efficacy. In general, expiry dates are conservative, and it is fof sure that consumers can have confidence that drug labeling claims will be accurate and up to date.

 Practically it is the reality is that we don’t store drugs under ideal circumstances. So when absolute certainty is required, we stick to drug products that are not expired. When absolutely necessary, expired drugs are probably safe, that is our mantality . however, the potency may be compromised.

When you are talking about supplements, herbals, and homeopathy, keep in mind that any expiry dates are usually arbitrary. And before you flush or toss those expired drugs, find ways to dispose of them in a way that minimizes the environmental impact and potential for harm.

Personally, I hold onto all sorts of expired medicine in my house. As noted above, it may not be at its full potency, but it’s not dangerous and it’s better than nothing. Once quick question on a specific case above, what effect does the breakdown of aspirin have other than the smell? It sounds like both of the active components are still present. I’ve never had ill effects, and it seems to work just as well for me, but then again, I sometimes wonder how much things like aspirin are influenced by how well we think they’ll work, a form of the placebo effect enhancing the natural pain-killing aspects of the medicine.

what’s found in willow bark and it’s the metabolite of aspirin (acetylsalycylic acid) that has the biological effect. But the reason we don’t just swallow it as is is because it’s more irritating to the stomach than the acetylized form. That would be the problem with the degraded product, as far as I know.

I tend to keep stuff (in the pharmacy containers) in a closet (dark and dry) for ages, especially something I only use in case of a flare up. I’ve been told different things (from “it’s all arbitrary” to “it’s useless after the date” by various pharmacists and recently tossed (trash, not toilet) a bunch because I was told most recently that the stuff all degrades over time and the dates are a good rule of thumb.