effect of age on prescriptions

[clottius]

How does prescription age affect it's potentcy? swim has been going through some dry times, and swim found a bottle of tylox(oxycodone and apap) from 1991, is this still suable/potent enough to be worth it?

[Milk man]

Swim remember reading somewhere that most prescriptions have a VERY long shelf life. Swim thinks he remembers being referred to a study done by the military that showed that meds even 12 years old were still quite effective. Swiy could also try the pills and see how they feel.

[Laudaphun]

Here again, often the medications are safe for far longer than they recommend. They give very conservative expiry dates for many reasons. But probably one of the big reasons is that they assume that they are the professionals and the consumers all with the most limited knowledge possible... Since there ARE a few medications out there where it is VERY important that you do not consume after it goes bad (which neither you nor the manufacturer have any way of predicting an exact date.) Storage, conditions... many medications are sensitive to light, heat, humidity, and of course oxygen (one of the most important and dangerous elements).

Some specialized medications have short shelf lives and need to be prepared shortly before administration to the patient. Most people know about acetylsalicylic acid, as it is one of the more well known medications to worry about toxic effects from degraded pills.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Well answered

[clottius]

ok, what do swiy think about how long oxycodone will last, the bottle that swim has is from 1991

[CrowJane]

I've found that RX expiration dates are a legal device of protection... On your end, what's to be lost, customers? I've seen Laudum and Pantapon active twenty to forty years after their respective expiration dates. I've seen folks OD because they have irrationally multiplied the dosage of their estate sale finds. Get wise: realize: open those eyes. Think!