Real Shelf Life of Meds

[RI_John]

Any pointers to previous threads or websites to the real shelf life of various meds- prescription and non-prescription?

e.g.

Children's Tylenol- I'd like to stock up, but shelf life says 1 year on the bottle
Cipro- got tons after 9/11, do I toss it?
Potassium Iodide?
Amoxicillin?

Anyone care to share what they're stocking and why?

I've thought about things like EpiPens, etc. that I don't need, but might be useful for others.

I have doctors in my (distant) family that can prescribe anything I want (well, except for fun stuff like oxycodone, etc)- but I don't want to abuse the privilege if I don't need to. (i.e. if my Cipro, Amoxicillin, etc is still good, even though it's past the expiration dates)

Anyhow, not well thought out yet, but it's what I'm currently thinking about for TEOTWAWKI planning.

Thanks-

 

[Prepper]

It depends on the substance. In general, the simpler the compound, the longer it will last.

KI for example will pretty much last indefinitely, despite what the expiry date on it may say. (They have to put a date there, so they make up something.)

Simple things like calcium should last well beyond their date.

I'd be concerned about medicines though... some of those can degrade into toxic substances over time.

 

[doobie]

KI for example will pretty much last indefinitely, despite what the expiry date on it may say. (They have to put a date there, so they make up something.)

Now you tell me I just bought a new bottle to replace my old one!

 

[Prepper]

Now you tell me I just bought a new bottle to replace my old one!

I hope you at least kept the old one "just in case". If a nuke goes off anywhere in the world, I am going to sell my older ones for $10,000 each on eBay (or whatever the highest inflated price is I can get for them).

 

[Len-2A Training]

This was hotly debated in my household a year or so ago, so I recall seeing some useful info on a website.

Just did a Google and here are some links that might help answer the question.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update1103a.shtml

http://www.medletter.com/freedocs/expdrugs.pdf

http://jdorganizer.blogspot.com/2009/02/news-to-me-medication-expiration-dates.html

http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/e...abinets_have_expiration_dates_02-06-2009.html

http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts...opkinsPrescriptionDrugsHealthAlert_677-1.html

Hope you find some of the above useful.

 

[doobie]

I hope you at least kept the old one "just in case". If a nuke goes off anywhere in the world, I am going to sell my older ones for $10,000 each on eBay (or whatever the highest inflated price is I can get for them).

Of course I kept it... I was going to karma it off in small quantities to people here in case they wanted to test for iodine allergies with 'em... but knowing they are still good, I ain't opening the bottle.

 

[RI_John]

This was hotly debated in my household a year or so ago, so I recall seeing some useful info on a website.

Just did a Google and here are some links that might help answer the question.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update1103a.shtml

http://www.medletter.com/freedocs/expdrugs.pdf

http://jdorganizer.blogspot.com/2009/02/news-to-me-medication-expiration-dates.html

http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/e...abinets_have_expiration_dates_02-06-2009.html

http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts...opkinsPrescriptionDrugsHealthAlert_677-1.html

Hope you find some of the above useful.

Thanks- I appreciate the links. I just read this in the first one-

many drugs stored under reasonable conditions retain
90% of their potency for at least 5 years after the expiration date on the label, and sometimes
much longer

I think I'll hang onto my Cipro.....

 

[Becka]

Working in a pharmacy, what we typically tell people is the longer it is after the expiration date, the less potent it is.
WRT creams or ointments, they can start to separate after a while.

Epipens tend to have short expiration dates. Sometimes the ones we get from the warehouse expire in less than a year. And a lot of people keep them in glove compartments so they certainly don't stay good for long.

 

[glostamon]

I'm thinking unopened, (saftey sealed w/cotton intact) if stored at constistant temp avay from UV should last years after exp.date.
http://murphy.house.gov/UploadedFiles/HealthCareFYI_15.pdf

When planning your Meds/First Aid besure to include high quality multi-vitamins and quality WHEY PROTEIN powder.

 

[rg1283]

Antibiotics would be iffy it they would still work after the expiration date (Depends on what it is). They wouldn't kill you. Better then nothing. Cipro is the way to go if you can get it.

The only drugs that really can kill you after the expiration date are tricyclic antidepressants (Elavil, etc.). Which are more used for off label use now a days and would more then likely not be in your med kit.

Cheap OTC stuff I would buy and replenish as needed since its easy to get.

That 90% stuff does hold true.

Amoxicillin and Augmentin can be a life safer. I am getting over an ear infection. To the point that I always have my Augmentin with me so I can take the pill. That way if the SHTHF atleast I won't have to worry about my ear infection anymore.

Also one thing to consider is mail order pharmacy. Most will send you a 60 or 90 day supply. Also know your medications know what they do. Be prepared to chose. Most medications come from a few wholesalers in select locations. If those locations are compromised it could be a long time before you get your meds.


Also they do lie about the date in the pharmacy. Most stuff is beyond one year. Stuff that has a shitty expiration date are usually drugs like Synthroid (thyroid medication) and some antibiotics. Most stuff lasts for atleast 1.5-2 years if not longer if you go by the date on the expiration date on the stock bottle (the big bottle where you pills came from).

http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.com/drugtopics/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=127952

 

[sieveboy]

I work in this field. The shelf life you find on FDA approved drugs is typically a time point when greater than 90% of the initial drug content or potency is still present.

Will a medicine still be useful at times beyond the expiry date? Of course. But it won't be as effective and it becomes a risk-based scenario. Depends on the drug in question and the condition the drug is treating.

I'd be comfortable treating a clean cut with some expired triple antibiotic ointment. But if my kid inhales anthrax and I'm looking for Cipro, I'd pay extra for the unexpired variety.

 

[Prepper]

And when it comes to keeping a SHTF stockpile of antibiotics, a cheap way to do it is with pet meds. It'll be the same stuff that is supposed to be for humans, but with a different label. Amoxicillin and tetracycline are two that are easy to get online which are sold as pet meds, such as fish or cat antibiotic. Really cheap, like $8 for a bottle of 100 250mg pills.

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor and this is not medical advice. I'm just trying to help you to keep your fish alive once society collapses and there are no more veterinarians to call.

 

[RI_John]

And when it comes to keeping a SHTF stockpile of antibiotics, a cheap way to do it is with pet meds. It'll be the same stuff that is supposed to be for humans, but with a different label. Amoxicillin and tetracycline are two that are easy to get online which are sold as pet meds, such as fish or cat antibiotic. Really cheap, like $8 for a bottle of 100 250mg pills.

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor and this is not medical advice. I'm just trying to help you to keep your fish alive once society collapses and there are no more veterinarians to call.

Thanks- very good to know. I'm going to check into getting a few thousand tablets for my fish.

 

[n1zfg]

Another trick to extending the shelf life is cold. The rate of chemical breakdown is directly proportional to how warm the stuff is. In other words, the colder you make the stuff, the longer it takes for the compounds, enzymes, vitamins, etc. to break down. In fact, I have yet to hear of *any* chemical process (organic or otherwise) that doesn't slow down with the temperature.

This means the principle works not only for drugs, but food, photographic film, and other chemicals, even batteries. Though for the batteries, you will want to warm them back up before use.

Aqueous suspensions (stuff with water in it), and certain plastics (things that turn brittle when cold) are the exceptions. The cold storage preservation factor for these things stop around 32F.