Are there drugs that turn into toxic substances as they age? Though the main risks of using outdated medications lie elsewhere, a rare kidney ailment called renal tubular acidosis has been reported to result from taking the antibiotic tetracycline old enough to have become degraded into other chemicals. The initial case report, involving a form of the drug that is no longer used, was published in Annals of Internal Medicine in There were a handful of subsequent incidents, leading to a longstanding warning about taking that drug when it is outdated. A review of the literature on tetracycline and similar antimicrobials suggested that it might be difficult to determine when the kidney ailment is caused by such a drug. A notable problem with taking expired prescription drugs is that they may not deliver enough of their active ingredient to be effective. Some drugs are so unstable that they must be refrigerated or must be mixed by the pharmacist close to the time they are taken.
August , Volume Number 8, page 17 – 17 [Free]. Join NursingCenter to get uninterrupted access to this Article. A patient was concerned when she realized she’d taken a dose of medication that was well beyond its expiration date. I told her it had probably lost potency and advised her to dispose of it properly and check with her healthcare provider if she needs another prescription. Are any medications likely to be toxic or otherwise harmful after the expiration date? As you note, outdated medications are more likely to lose potency and efficacy than cause toxicity. However, certain outdated medications such as liquid antibiotics, eye drops, and nitroglycerin have the potential to harm patients. Advise patients to review storage instructions for their medications and keep them refrigerated if directed.
Experimental anti-malarial drug shows promise in first clinical trial Apr 08, Depending on the manufacturer, the stock bottles will typically carry an expiration date of two to three years. Drugs may outlast label date. Open-label study of the stability of sublingual nitroglycerin tablets in simulated real-life conditions. Finally, expired medicines are also not just a risk to the person they were prescribed for, and can injure children and pets if taken by mistake. Expired medications that contain preservatives, such as ophthalmic eye drops, may be unsafe past their expiration date. J Pharm Sci ; Do pills really expire? Your opinions are important to us.