Guest guest Posted August 26, 2004 Report Share Posted August 26, 2004 > " HSI - Jenny Thompson " > <HSIResearch > Dates to Remember > Thu, 26 Aug 2004 09:19:28 -0400 > > Dates to Remember > > Health Sciences Institute e-Alert > > August 26, 2004 > > ************************************************************ > > Dear Reader, > > Whenever you hear FDA officials warn against > purchasing inexpensive > drugs from Canada or other foreign countries, one of > the primary > dangers they cite is the possibility that the > expiration dates for the > drugs may have passed. > > In the case of most drugs, however, this is just > another hollow > warning. As FDA officials are fully aware. > > --------------------------- > > Extreme measures > --------------------------- > > > In 1979 the FDA set out guidelines for expiration > dates, required of > all prescription and over-the-counter drugs. But the > regulatory > mandate to drug companies was not to establish > exactly how long a drug > would be potent and safe, but rather to set an > arbitrary date, and > then do the testing necessary to guarantee that a > drug would be potent > and safe at least until that date. > > So when a company sets an expiration date for a new > drug – let's say, > for instance, 18 months – they don't place the drug > on a shelf for a > year and a half and then test it for potency. > Instead they subject it > to extremes of humidity, heat, and light (the three > enemies of drug > potency), designed to approximate deterioration over > time. This is > followed by chemical analysis to insure that the > active ingredients > are still intact. > > Since the beginning of the expiration date > requirement, scientists for > both the FDA and drug companies have generally > agreed that the testing > standards are rigorous enough that most drugs are > safe and potent well > beyond their established expiration dates. And while > this information > wasn't really kept secret, no one was shouting it > from the rooftops > either. > > Then in the mid-80s, a major drug customer started > asking questions. > > --------------------------- > > Military savings > --------------------------- > > > It's probably safe to say that the number one > consumer of prescription > drugs in the U.S. is the military. And because our > armed forces have a > huge stockpile of drugs on hand at all times, > expiration dates are an > important and expensive issue. Imagine: If every > drug purchased by the > military were tossed out on the first day after its > expiration month, > millions of dollars would be going down the drain > yearly. > > In 1985 the military had reached a point where its > store of drugs was > worth about $1 billion. FDA scientists were called > on to help > determine which drugs could be safely used beyond > listed expiration > dates. The FDA tests showed that out of more than > 100 tested drugs, > about 90 percent of them were still fully potent and > safe well past > their expiration date, and in some cases for YEARS > past that date. > > As a result, over a period of five years in the > mid-90s, the military > spent almost $4 million to test certain drugs for > realistic expiration > dates, and ended up saving more than $260 million by > extending the use > of many drugs past their listed dates. (Go ahead and > savor that. It's > not every day you hear about the military SAVING our > tax dollars.) > > --------------------------- > > Ancient aspirin > --------------------------- > > > Not all drugs are quite as durable as the majority > of them are. A > former FDA expiration-date compliance chief named > Joel Davis told the > Wall Street Journal that nitroglycerin, insulin, and > some liquid > antibiotics are more perishable and should be used > or discarded before > their listed " use by " date. > But more common drugs like aspirin, for instance, > are probably still > good a full two years past the expiration date. In > fact, Bayer has > tested aspirin as old as four years and found it to > be just as > effective as the day it was manufactured. The big > question, however, > is this: What happens to that aspirin and other > drugs in your medicine > cabinet over the course of several years? > > As I said above, the culprits that rob drug potency > are heat, > humidity, and direct light. So ironically, medicine > cabinets in > bathrooms that get steamed up by daily hot showers > may not be the best > place to keep medications. But a refrigerator is > perfect: cool, dark, > and dry. > > --------------------------- > > Dated supplements > --------------------------- > > > Does all of the above also apply to vitamins and > other dietary > supplements? > > In many respects, yes. > > Of course the military doesn't stockpile $1 billion > worth of vitamins, > so there's been no high-profile testing to use as a > guide. But all > reliable supplement manufacturers conduct tests to > determine how long > the full potency of their products can be > guaranteed. And while > supplements are generally regarded as effective and > safe beyond their > expiration dates, you wouldn't purchase food that > had passed the " sell > by " date, and I'm sure you wouldn't purchase a > supplement after that > date either. > > Like drugs, vitamins and supplements should be kept > away from heat, > humidity, and direct light. And if you should notice > a change in the > odor, taste or appearance of a supplement (or a > drug), you would be > wise to discard it, regardless of the expiration > date. > > Bottom line: Store your supplements and medications > properly, and many > of them could still be effective long after the " use > before " date. > > ************************************************************ > > ...and another thing > > Want another reason to make sure you're getting > enough vitamin D? > > Just last week, in the e-Alert " Raise a Holler " > (8/17/04), I told you > how vitamin D intake may help chase the blues and > enhance feelings of > wellbeing during the winter months. But as we've > seen before, an > adequate vitamin D intake promotes good health in a > number of > different ways. > > In a study that appeared in the Journal of the > American Medical > Association, more than 3,000 subjects, aged 50 to 75 > years, were > screened for colon cancer. Using dietary > questionnaires, researchers > found a clear association between vitamin D intake > of more than 645 IU > per day and a reduced risk of colon cancer. Those > who had the greatest > protection also used multivitamins, exercised > regularly, and had diets > with high fiber content. > > Two other factors were also associated with a lesser > risk of the > disease: cereal fiber intake and the use of > nonsteroidal anti- > inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). But of course, both of > these factors have > drawbacks, such as a possible high carbohydrate > intake with cereal > fiber and various side effects associated with > NSAIDs. > > So once again, D does it. Put an extra helping of > fish on your menu > each week and spend a little time out in the > sunshine, and you'll > probably end up enjoying a wide variety of very > healthy benefits. > > To Your Good Health, > > Jenny Thompson > Health Sciences Institute > > ************************************************************ > > Sources: > > " Many Medicines Prove Potent for Years Past Their > Expiration Dates " > Laurie P. Cohen, the Wall Street Journal, 3/28/00, > wsj.com > " Vitamins Expiration Date " Elizabeth Somer, M.A., > R.D., WebMD, > 11/20/00, content.health.msn.com > " Risk Factors for Advanced Colonic Neoplasia and > Hyperplastic Polyps > in Asymtomatic Individuals " Journal of the American > Medical > Association, vol. 290, no. 22, 12/10/03, > ncbi.nlm.nih.gov > " Vitamin D Reduces Colon Cancer " Dr. Joseph Mercola, > 1/3/04, > mercola.com > > Copyright ©1997-2004 by www.hsibaltimore.com, > L.L.C. The e-Alert may > not be posted on commercial sites without written > permission. > > ************************************************************ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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