Most medications purchased in pharmacies have an expiration date. Determined from accelerated degradation studies and real-time stability studies of the product, it is generally 2 years after the date of manufacture. And it must be written on the boxes, blister packs, tubes and bottles.
8 out of 10 drugs remain effective after their expiration date
In theory, a medicine becomes expired when the initial concentration of active ingredient decreased by 10%or even 5% for certain products. Yes, but here’s the thing: according to a survey published this Thursday, September 19 by UFC-Que Choisir, 80% of expired drugs would retain almost intact efficacyup to years after their expiration date…
The UFC-Que-Choisir experts give several examples to illustrate their point: for example, they tested the effectiveness of paracetamol tablets that had expired since 1992. And it was still 100%!The overwhelming majority of drugs based on paracetamol or ofibuprofen tested retain their effectiveness well after the expiration date displayed on the boxes” they say.
“No relationship between the expiry year and the active substance still present”
“Our results suggest that there is no relationship between the year of expiry of drugs and the amount of active substance still present.” concludes UFC-Que-Choisir. As a result, the consumer association has decided to contact the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM).
The objective: change the regulations as for the expiry dates of medicines to avoid “a waste of medicines with economic, environmental and health consequences“In the meantime, it is still recommended to return expired medications to the pharmacy for destruction by incineration.
Source : UFC What to choose
Source: www.topsante.com
