A great debate ever more heated, now more than ever: can we take expired medicines? If so, are they bad and what date is dangerous anyway? The answer is not that difficult: we can take 9 out of 10 medicines safely one year after their expiry. At the top of all the classic anti-inflammatories and painkillers. On the other hand, antibiotics and the so-called lifesavers are absolutely not to be taken. Here are the drugs that we can take even one year after their expiration in this article by the Experts of our editorial staff.
What does the expiry of a drug mean
First, let’s analyze what the expiry date of a drug really means. The date that we find imprinted on the packaging does not indicate a date beyond which the medicine becomes dangerous. It simply indicates the time guaranteed by the manufacturer for the drug to take effect. Taking a medicine a year or two after it expires in most cases means doing it without its actual potential. So, to be even clearer, if we take a pain reliever by the expiration date, its effectiveness is 100%. Otherwise, if we take it after a year, its potential could drop to 80%. Here are the drugs that we can take even a year after their expiration and what happens to our body.
Password: avoid waste
Take an expired drug that is not antibiotic or lifesaving, it happens, according to statistics to 4 out of 10 Italian families. In most cases we are talking about mild drugs that can help us against migraines, stomach pain, nausea or some joint pain. Hiring some from time to time within 5 years of its effective expiration shouldn’t lead to collateral damage, but it helps us to avoid waste. In Italy there is currently no body that continuously checks and tests expired drugs, as is the case in other international states.
Beware of liquid drugs
However, the situation of liquid drugs, such as syrups and eye drops, is different. In this case, if we take them on, we take the responsibility to do so, knowing that the product may have undergone alterations. In fact, unlike classic drugs in tablets, liquid ones can create sediments and above all are affected by the temperature in which they are stored.
Where to store drugs
When we think of taking a drug, whether it has recently been bought or has expired, we must keep it in places in the house that are away from humidity, heat and light. Many, for convenience, store medicines in the bathroom or kitchen, but beware that they are two of the hottest and humid places in the house.
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