Any tablets have a limited shelf life. But what to do with expired drugs next? The recommendations of pharmacists are unequivocal - to dispose of and not tempt fate. And although many drugs can be stored much longer than the stated period, there is no guarantee for such treatment. There is a third option: certain types of medicines can be used in everyday life and as fertilizers.
Leave at your own risk
In 2006, the journal Clinical Pharmacology published the results of a study on expired drugs. Most of them (88%) were suitable for use, although the date on the packaging indicated otherwise. On average, the delay was 1–5 years. The most durable antibiotic was ciprofloxacin and granules of iodized potassium (12 and 18 years old).
But why are the real shelf life of drugs so underestimated? Scientists attribute this to the fact that pharmaceutical companies are not profitable to conduct lengthy trials. It's expensive, and the demand for pills is decreasing.
Shelf life on drugs is based on the duration of testing by the manufacturer. Usually it is 1-2 years. In fact, they can be suitable much longer. But it is not profitable for pharmaceutical companies to verify this.
Some doctors allow the use of drugs after the expiration date. But for this, 5 conditions must be met:
- Medications are not vital.
- They were kept in a dry and dark place.
- The tightness of the packaging is not broken.
- Appearance, consistency and smell of the drug have not changed.
- Duration of delay is 1-12 months (equivalent to the total shelf life).
What expired tablets can I take:
- paracetamol,
- loratadine
- ibuprofen
- aspirin.
What expired drugs can be dangerous?
Taking any drugs with an expired shelf life is a risk. Definitely not worth taking the following medications overdue:
- insulin;
- phenobarbital;
- oral contraceptives;
- carbamazepine, phenytoin and other anticonvulsants;
- warfarin;
- epinephrine;
- paraldehyde;
- theophylline;
- nitroglycerine;
- digoxin;
- levothyroxine and other thyroid medications.
It is also worth considering that after opening the medicine deteriorates faster. This is especially true for all kinds of syrups, suspensions, ear and eye drops. The latter, moreover, have contact with the mucosa and can be seeded with infectious bacteria.
Use as fertilizer
Some expired medications can bring significant benefits to indoor flowers and seedlings:
- Activated carbon. Effective remedy for rot and black legs. Crush the tablets and sprinkle powder on the roots of the plants during transplantation. Activated carbon is useful to treat places of cuts, wounds and all kinds of damage to indoor flowers.
- Aspirin. Dissolve the tablet in 1 liter of water. The solution will revitalize plants with faded leaves, relieve stress after transplantation. And if you put cut flowers in it, the buds will not fade for a long time.
To remove stains on linen and clothes
Using expired aspirin, you can remove stains from blood, sweat, ketchup, coffee, grass:
- Grind 2-3 tablets.
- Add 1 teaspoon of washing powder and 0.5 cups of warm water.
- Stir until completely dissolved.
- Apply to stains for 20 minutes.
- Wash a thing in the usual way.
Hydrogen peroxide in the home
After the expiration date, hydrogen peroxide can be used for home care:
- Wipe off food trays with expired medicine to remove odor.
- Process cutting boards for meat and fish.
- Remove the yellow spots on the white linen - fill them with a solution of peroxide with soda (1 tbsp.spoon per 100 ml of water) and after 40 minutes wash the product.
- Wipe the shelves of the refrigerator.
- Remove mold in the bathroom - apply to affected areas and leave for half an hour. Then wash with soap.
Recycle
For many years, expired drugs were flushed into the toilet or sent to landfill. Today they are classified as toxic waste and must be disposed of in recycling plants. In most countries, citizens can take expired medicines to any pharmacy. However, this does not apply to the inhabitants of Russia.
Russian pharmacies do not have a license for the disposal of medical waste. Collection of expired drugs is carried out by individual private companies. However, most often they accept waste in large quantities and only from legal entities.
Ordinary citizens often have no choice but to continue to pollute the environment. Once in a sewer or landfill, along with sediments, drugs penetrate the soil and groundwater. And although the impact of various active substances on the environment has not been studied much, it is obvious that this will not lead to anything good. Drugs have a direct effect on aquatic organisms. Many medicinal components do not decompose and enter drinking water.
What to do with expired drugs? To minimize harm to the environment, animals and people:
- Free the product from packaging.
- Grind and place in a bag.
- Add something inedible inside (potato peeling, missing product).
- Tie and discard in the trash bin.
Packed in this way, medicines will not be used by the homeless or accidentally swallowed by animals. Once in a landfill in a bag, they will lie for a relatively long time and will not fall into the soil. Perhaps, by that time, the process of waste processing in the country will be adjusted.
What could be the consequences of taking expired drugs?
No such tests have been conducted. The only known case of a negative effect was recorded in 1960, when, after taking expired antibiotics, people had problems with their kidneys. Otherwise, doctors are inclined to believe that drugs with an expired shelf life simply lose their strength and become ineffective.
How often do I need to audit my home medicine cabinet?
Every six months. Medicines with a suitable shelf life are recommended to be folded separately. When you need to take a pill, you will know that these drugs are in question, and double-check the date on the package. And at the next revision, utilize the whole pile.
Although opinions on expired drugs are mixed, we advise you not to take risks and do not check their effect on yourself. Medicines such as aspirin, hydrogen peroxide, activated carbon, can be left for use in everyday life. Everything else is better to throw out.