Expiration dates on drugs may be meaningless

February 18, 2010

Medication drop boxes are money pits

It might seem like a no-brainer to toss your meds in the trash when they reach their expiration date. After all, no one wants to take a chance when it comes to drugs, right? But hold on a moment. Step away from that trashcan, because while you might not want to drink your wine before its time, it can be perfectly safe to take your meds after they pass theirs. Don't be fooled by the growing number of drop boxes for expired and unused meds... because those expiration dates are often meaningless. It's just one more in a long line of dirty drug secrets, and people are falling for it. USA Today reports that some of the programs that collect expired and unused meds took in record hauls last year. The paper notes that three little-advertised

collection points in Palo Alto, Calif., took in more than 5,400 pounds of drugs last year alone. What a waste! There are good reasons to throw out drugs... and bad ones. If you've decided to turn over a new leaf and do without meds, sure -- and good for you. If, on the other hand, you're worried that expired meds will make you sick... well, don't worry so much. While the FDA requires labels to have expiration dates, they're not really a true measure of how long the meds will last. Just ask the Department of Defense. The military brass had the FDA test its massive stockpile of aging drugs because they didn't want to toss the stuff if they could safely keep giving it to the troops. Who says the Pentagon can't be thrifty? Those tests found that 90 percent of more than 100 commonly used medications were fine years after their expiration dates. The key to most meds is not age... but how you store them. Don't keep them in the bathroom where they'll be exposed to rapidly changing temperatures every time you shower, but a dark, dry and cool closet or pantry -- as long as they're out of reach of little hands. But just because they're still good doesn't mean they should ever be your first choice. Remember -- the best solutions are still natural ones. On a mission for your health,Ed MartinEditor, House Calls