Don't Throw Away Those Expired Medications

toxcrusadr

Omelette au Fromage
Something I ran across that could save billions - and already has, for the military.

Three links here since I found pretty good stories at different legit sources.

That Drug Expiration Date May Be More Myth Than Fact
NPR July 18, 2017·5:00 AM ET

The box of prescription drugs had been forgotten in a back closet of a retail pharmacy for so long that some of the pills predated the 1969 moon landing. Most were 30 to 40 years past their expiration dates — possibly toxic, probably worthless.

Overall, the bottles contained 14 different compounds, including antihistamines, pain relievers and stimulants. All the drugs tested were in their original sealed containers.

The findings surprised researchers: A dozen of the 14 compounds - including antihistamines, pain relievers and stimulants - were still as potent as they were when they were manufactured, some at almost 100 percent of their labeled concentrations.

"Lo and behold," Cantrell says, "The active ingredients are pretty darn stable."

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/07/18/537257884/that-drug-expiration-date-may-be-more-myth-than-fact

Most Drug Expiration Dates Are Bogus, and the FDA Knows It
Reason Aug. 14, 2017

At the government's behest, hospitals trash nearly a billion dollars worth of perfectly safe and effective medicines every year.

For decades, the federal government has stockpiled massive stashes of medication, antidotes and vaccines in secure locations throughout the country. The drugs are worth tens of billions of dollars and would provide a first line of defense in case of a large-scale emergency.

A 2006 study of 122 drugs tested by the program showed that two-thirds of the expired medications were stable every time a lot was tested. Each of them had their expiration dates extended, on average, by more than four years, according to research published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

https://reason.com/blog/2017/08/14/drug-expiration-dates-are-bogus-and-the

Drug Expiration Dates — Do They Mean Anything?
Harvard Medical School Updated: August 13, 2018 Published: November, 2003

It turns out that the expiration date on a drug does stand for something, but probably not what you think it does. Since a law was passed in 1979, drug manufacturers are required to stamp an expiration date on their products. This is the date at which the manufacturer can still guarantee the full potency and safety of the drug.

Most of what is known about drug expiration dates comes from a study conducted by the Food and Drug Administration at the request of the military. With a large and expensive stockpile of drugs, the military faced tossing out and replacing its drugs every few years. What they found from the study is 90% of more than 100 drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, were perfectly good to use even 15 years after the expiration date.

A pharmacist who helped run the extension program from 2006 to 2009, says it has had a "ridiculous" return on investment. Each year the federal government saved $600 million to $800 million because it did not have to replace expired medication.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/drug-expiration-dates-do-they-mean-anything
 
For decades, the federal government has stockpiled massive stashes of medication, antidotes and vaccines in secure locations throughout the country. The drugs are worth tens of billions of dollars and would provide a first line of defense in case of a large-scale emergency.

I wonder if anyone really knows where government stockpiles are ? Probably next to the Ark of the Covenant.
 
I did a little reading on this several years ago. IIRC there are very few drugs that go toxic with time, Tetracycline being one of them. ( I found this out the hard way a couple of decades ago)

For most, worst case would be them becoming slightly less effective over time.
 
I found that out a few years ago when researching some of the meds they gave me after heart surgery. I have a pretty nice little stockpile for self-medicating.
 
Another connect the dots moment. Somehow it is a mystery why U.S. healthcare is so expensive but the answers are all there.
 
One wonders what the expiration date requirements are in other developed countries. Europe for example, Japan, Canada.
 
I wonder if anyone really knows where government stockpiles are ? Probably next to the Ark of the Covenant.
Yes, they really exist. I have been in one. Sometimes referred to as national strategic stockpiles. If I recall correctly some meds/supplies with expiration dates get rotated back into pharmacy circulation before they reach the expiration date. Usually they are kept in close proximity to a means of fast transportation, but the exact location is secret to keep people from looting in a real emergency...... I'm sure for good reason.
 
I always assumed most of the expiration date was to drive sales, the other part is for insurance liability reasons. Get sick from our pills? You took them past the date, sorry, not my fault.
 
It's not unreasonable that FDA wanted them to put a date up to which they would guarantee that the stuff was good. Problem is it may be good for a lot longer than that.

And come to think of it, if not stored properly - say in a 120F glove compartment - I bet some drugs would break down a lot faster than that.
 
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