How Long Should One Keep Expired Prescribed Drugs?

Haven't been on these boards for some time, will try to be a more active poster & participans for 2025. One of my questions today is how long one should keep Expired Prescription Medicine for as the one I've kept (for end of the world emergencies) are just taking up to much room in my 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment. I always believed that having expired medication would still have trading value during TOTWAWKI. Am I wrong. Let me break things down into 3 groups.

1. Medications that are 1 day to 6 months past expiration date?
Keep or throw Out? My preference is to keep.

2. Medication 6-12 months past expiration date.
Keep or throw Out? My preference is to throw out.

3. Medication a years Past Expiration Date.
Keep ot throw out? I throw out

Basically the question is, if these medication are not available to you due to a Holiday or End of the World Emergency, 1. Do you take them if nothing else is available & when do they stop working period 2. After how long past expiration date, will anybody want them? What is your rule of thumb? Thanks

 

Good question here ,,, just the other day ,, I had been in pretty bad back pain for about 2 weeks. I have just a couple of old pain pills that I've held onto for just that time . These pills had to be at least 5 yrs old . I didn't figure it would have been any good ,, but it worked,, took the pain away. It may have lost a little potentcy ,, but it did what I needed it to do .
Just as they say on TV commercials and your medicine information, ,,, consult your doctor ,, I am no doctor,,, my medical advice goes no farther than a quick pack on a wound with a tourniquet,, and get to your Corpsman most Riki-tic.

 

The military had a whole program for testing medicines past their expiration dates… then again I am not a doctor. YMMV.

Expired Meds: CAN You Use Them?

 

You can search up the degradation of specific meds. Most will be OK but perhaps less effective. Some can degenerate and become toxic. I have some meds on hand years past expiration that I would take if need be in the expectation they would work but be less effective.

 

Frig/Freezer would be a good place to start.

 

Thanks, MM! This is super information!

 

I use these guidlines but de-rate by 10% to account for the unknown time in storage before they come into my possession.

 

Depends what it is.
Grandma's diet pills were still potent after about 50 years.
It was at that moment I understood how grandma was able to weigh about 110lb into her 50s and keep a perfectly clean house.

 

Depends on the med. Some are very time sensitive and can potentially make you sick after their expiry. An example is Immodium which explains as well why it's bubble pack is tight and about as accessible as Fort Knox when the urgent need arises.

Good to see you back @ED GEiN , and a great question!

 

Another one that keeps, topical testosterone replacement packs containing rubbing alcohol. My dad died in 2016, the product was made in 2014 as of late last year they still appear very effective. I don't even know if they make them anymore.

 

Yeah, I have Lidocaine patches my dad had 10 years ago, still work well but don't stick as good.

 

Ideally one should be finding alternative medicines, and those one can produce them self, should things fall apart.

 

Main class I'd be worried about becoming toxic would be non-sufur antibiotics.

 

They really don't like it when people make their own "grandma's diet pills".

 

Yeah opioids seem to keep for a long time.

 

Don't think it's as simple as keep or toss. For OTC medications, definitely keep. For prescription, it depends on what it's used for, as many are considered "maintenance" drugs. Meaning, you start taking them, and continue taking them to keep a certain level of the drug in your body.....to maintain that level. Blood pressure and cholesterol medications are a couple examples.

The thing to remember about drugs, is that most of them don't "expire". They simply go past the date where the FDA considers them to be full strength. So even if it's a maintenance drug, if you have nothing else to take, taking expired drugs could keep you healthy, even though your body may not be getting the full dosage you originally would have gotten. 3/4 dose of a blood pressure pill is better than none at all, right?

 

Until you have a replacement unless they are liquids or jell caps. A half potent antibiotic is better than none. Most pills, properly stored, will still be effective, to some degree, for years past their expiration date. Never throw them out.