[B767drvr]

According to this report, 88% of medicines are still good a full 5.5 years AFTER their "expiration date". Expiration dates are apparently required by the FDA, but there's almost no evidence supporting the validity for an expiration date. Hmmm…??? (I don't claim to be an expert - just came across this info.) Maybe BarryRX knows more? Any pharmacists out there or former drug reps?

Medication myth: Do expiration dates really matter? | On Air Videos | Fox Business

[Diva Kay]

I freeze unused meds and they stay good forever.

[KayakerNC]

You can fly with United or Delta or American, but Expired Airlines offers FREE flights. The catch is there is a 1 in 10 chance it will crash and you might die.
But hey....you will save a few bucks.

[B767drvr]

More similar info:

>>
Most of what is known about drug expiration dates comes from a study conducted by the Food and Drug Administration at the request of the military. With a large and expensive stockpile of drugs, the military faced tossing out and replacing its drugs every few years. What they found from the study is 90% of more than 100 drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, were perfectly good to use even 15 years after the expiration date.

So the expiration date doesn't really indicate a point at which the medication is no longer effective or has become unsafe to use. Medical authorities state expired drugs are safe to take, even those that expired years ago. A rare exception to this may be tetracycline, but the report on this is controversial among researchers. It's true the effectiveness of a drug may decrease over time, but much of the original potency still remains even a decade after the expiration date. Excluding nitroglycerin, insulin, and liquid antibiotics, most medications are as long-lasting as the ones tested by the military. Placing a medication in a cool place, such as a refrigerator, will help a drug remain potent for many years.
(Thanks Diva Kay!)<<


Drug Expiration Dates &mdash; Do They Mean Anything?&mdash;The Family Health Guide

[billethkid]

keep in mind that drugs in the freezer will become dehydrated. I don't know what potency gets lost in the process. Forever is a long time....the freezer must be crowded by now.