Drug Information Q&A Q29. What is the expiration date of drugs and how should they be stored?
Answer
The expiration date of prescription drugs prescribed at hospitals is 3 to 5 years after manufacture in an unopened container. OTC drugs purchased at pharmacies are marked with expiration dates. Please choose a place where temperature and humidity, as well as accidental ingestion by infants, will not occur.
Explanation
Pharmaceuticals are tested to confirm their quality so that they can be used for 3 to 5 years after they are manufactured if they are unopened.
For OTC drugs, the expiration date is printed on the outer box. In particular, be careful with liquid drugs such as syrups and eye drops, as their quality is likely to change after opening the package.
In the case of prescription drugs prescribed at a hospital, etc., the doctor has prescribed the best medicine for the patient's physical condition and symptoms at the time of consultation, so please take it to the end as instructed by the doctor. Do not use it later for the same symptoms or recommend it to others just because you forgot to take it. If you use a drug on your own judgment, it may not be effective, your symptoms may worsen, or you may experience unexpected side effects.
Take prescription drugs correctly according to your doctor's or pharmacist's instructions, and do not use any left over for another occasion.
It is easy to think that all medicines should be stored in the same way in a medicine cabinet, but in fact, different medicines are stored in different ways. Some are more sensitive to temperature, humidity, or light than others, and each has its own storage method.
Generally, drugs should be stored at 30°C or below (room temperature) or 15°C or below (cool storage), but not in freezing temperatures. During the height of summer, the temperature inside a car under the blazing sun can reach 50-80℃, which is the harshest condition for medicines. Do not leave medicines unattended in your car.
Another important storage location is to keep them out of the reach of infants. Infants tend to put everything in their mouths. If the medicine is left on the table, the infant may put it in his or her mouth. There have been cases in which infants have ingested medicines that their parents had prepared on the table for them to take after meals.
Accidents involving such accidental ingestion are very common in the home, and since infants have a weak detoxification ability, serious drug poisoning often occurs.
Accidents involving accidental ingestion occur most frequently between 8 and 10 a.m. and between 6 and 8 p.m., when parents are busy with household chores. No matter how busy you are, it is important to keep track of your medications.
Chart/Column
29｜In principle, prescribed drugs should be used up by the person himself/herself before the expiration date.
Doctors will examine the patient's physical condition and medical condition and prescribe the most appropriate medicine according to the condition.
Even if the symptoms are similar, the cause may be different.
Do not use drugs left over from a previous prescription at your own discretion or give them to someone else.
Storage and management of medicines
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Separate medicines by type.
Keep suppositories, syrups, and eye drops in a refrigerator.
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Avoid moisture, sunlight, and high temperatures
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Keep out of reach of infants and children
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Do not transfer to another container
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Observe expiration dates. Do not use expired or outdated drugs.
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