01-18-2020, 03:33 AM
Expiration dates are largely based on how long the product is expected to last after it is opened and stored in the worst possible conditions. FEMA and the military have both done studies and found that most unopened medicine has no expiration date. I recall the FEMA study they tested medicine that was 15 years past it's date because that was the oldest medicine they had in storage and it was identical to new medicine. This article references that if considering expired medicine to skip the liquid varieties and opt for the tablets:
"The original purpose of the SLEP program was twofold: to determine the actual shelf life of stockpiled military medications for future use, and to save government dollars.5 Over 3000 lots, representing 122 different drug products, were assessed in the SLEP program. Based on stability data, expiration dates on 88% of the lots were extended beyond their original expiration date for an average of 66 months. Of these 2652 lots, only 18% were terminated due to failure. Examples of common drug products that were tested with no failures included amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, diphenhydramine, and morphine sulfate injection. Drug expiration extension dates on these products ranged from 12 months to 184 months (over 15 years)...Solid dosage forms, such as tablets and capsules, appear to be most stable past their expiration date. Drugs that exist in solution or as a reconstituted suspension, and that require refrigeration (such as amoxicillin suspension), may not have the required potency if used when outdated."
https://www.drugs.com/article/drug-expir...dates.html
"The original purpose of the SLEP program was twofold: to determine the actual shelf life of stockpiled military medications for future use, and to save government dollars.5 Over 3000 lots, representing 122 different drug products, were assessed in the SLEP program. Based on stability data, expiration dates on 88% of the lots were extended beyond their original expiration date for an average of 66 months. Of these 2652 lots, only 18% were terminated due to failure. Examples of common drug products that were tested with no failures included amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, diphenhydramine, and morphine sulfate injection. Drug expiration extension dates on these products ranged from 12 months to 184 months (over 15 years)...Solid dosage forms, such as tablets and capsules, appear to be most stable past their expiration date. Drugs that exist in solution or as a reconstituted suspension, and that require refrigeration (such as amoxicillin suspension), may not have the required potency if used when outdated."
https://www.drugs.com/article/drug-expir...dates.html