Expired medicines: information on shelf life and disposal

0

Stiftung Warentest
What you should know about the shelf life of medicines

Once a cough syrup or other medication has expired, it should no longer be used.

© Image Source / Getty Images

Rebecca Haefner

05/19/2022, 09:41

2 min reading time

Old nasal sprays, an opened pack of diarrhea capsules or expired painkillers can often still be found in the household pharmacy. Can the medication still be used?

It hammers, knocks and roars in the head. On the search for a painkiller, one last copy is found in a handbag. However, the imprint reveals that, according to the manufacturer, the tablet has already passed its expiry date. Does a painkiller help? And can I still take an expired medication?

Stiftung Warentest gives tips on how to deal with medicines – from shelf life to disposal. Most medicines have a shelf life of one to three years. The product testers explain that drugs should not be durable for more than five years according to local regulations. The reason: In this period of time, new findings could arise, for example about side effects. The package insert would become outdated – a legal problem. Using an expired painkiller or nasal spray past the expiration date is not a good idea.

Autoimmune diseases are easy to treat thanks to modern medicine

health

The body’s fight against itself: Which remedies work against autoimmune diseases

Expired medication may be less effective

Manufacturers guarantee the quality of the drug only up to the expiry date. Even if a tablet looks, tastes and smells normal, it can still be wrong. Medicines can lose their effectiveness over time. What would be annoying with a headache can be life-threatening with emergency medication. Another problem: Even if it only happens very rarely, there is a possibility that harmful substances will be produced as a result of decomposition processes in the medicinal product after the expiration date.

Even opened creams, cough syrups or drops should not be used indefinitely. Once the packaging is opened, they can usually only be used for a few weeks or months. There is also a risk of infection, especially with cream jars, because pathogens can be introduced through the hands. How long a drug can be taken or used after opening is always stated on the package or in the package insert.

But even if the headache tablet or the diarrhea capsules can still be used according to the expiry date, it is worth taking a closer look. If tablets, capsules or dragees are discolored, have cracks or dark spots, if clear liquids flocculate, if creams or ointments smell rancid or if their consistency has changed, they should no longer be used. Improper storage can spoil medicines. Medications are best stored in a cool, dry, dark place. So bathroom and kitchen are not suitable. Better: in the bedroom or the closet.

Good to know

The healing power of ginger, cinnamon and pepper: What the spices do – and what they don’t


Cinnamon Cinnamon is not just cinnamon. There is real cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon as well as cassia cinnamon, which originally comes from China. This one is sweeter, more flavorful, and cheaper. In Europe and the USA it is mainly used in the kitchen. Most studies on the health effects are also carried out with cassia cinnamon: it promotes appetite, stimulates intestinal activity and counteracts feelings of fullness and flatulence - making food more digestible. Some fungal diseases and bacteria can be combated with cinnamon extracts. A number of laboratory tests show that cassia cinnamon can also lower blood sugar levels. Both the release of insulin and the uptake of glucose into the cells were higher. However, human studies are somewhat conflicting: some show that taking at least 1 gram daily over a long period of time improves insulin action and fat burning. Others could not demonstrate this effect. Cassia cinnamon also contains the ingredient coumarin, which can damage the liver in weakened and sensitive individuals.

Cinammon
Cinnamon is not just cinnamon. There is real cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon as well as cassia cinnamon, which originally comes from China. This one is sweeter, more flavorful, and cheaper. In Europe and the USA it is mainly used in the kitchen. Most studies on the health effects are also carried out with cassia cinnamon: it promotes appetite, stimulates intestinal activity and counteracts feelings of fullness and flatulence – making food more digestible. Some fungal diseases and bacteria can be combated with cinnamon extracts. A number of laboratory tests show that cassia cinnamon can also lower blood sugar levels. Both the release of insulin and the uptake of glucose into the cells were higher. However, human studies are somewhat conflicting: some show that taking at least 1 gram daily over a long period of time improves insulin action and fat burning. Others could not demonstrate this effect. Cassia cinnamon also contains the ingredient coumarin, which can damage the liver in weakened and sensitive individuals.

More


Medicines can be disposed of in the residual waste in many places

If a drug has passed its expiry date, it can be disposed of with household waste in many places. Residues of creams or liquids should remain in the containers and not be washed out. Tablets can be pushed out of the blister into the residual waste. The plastic packaging can then go into the yellow bag and the paper box into the waste paper.

You can decide whether you are allowed to dispose of medicines in the residual waste in your place of residence check online here. If a medicine cannot be disposed of with the residual waste, recycling and pollutant depots are the right places to go. Some pharmacies also accept expired medicines. Important: Expired medication should never be disposed of down the sink or toilet.

For more information and why an expert thinks longer shelf life is important for medicines, find out online at Stiftung Warentest!

#Subjects

source site