Drug Expirations

[Versedboi]

As several of us at my company are going through all of our expired needles, combo-patches, ET tubes and various drugs we got back into the discussion that I still haven't had answered in 10 years of doing this.

If a drugs exp date is 9/00 can it still be used until 9/30 or has it already expired. Please give references to help settle this situation.

Thanks,

Now back to making big box of training supplies.

versedboi

 

[Epi-do]

We leave it on the truck until the end of the month. Occasionally, we will come across something that has an expiration date with an actual day, such as 6/1/08. That would be taken off the truck on the first of June. It's been quite a while since I have seen that though. Now, just about everything just has a month/year format for the expiration date.

 

[Ridryder911]

Many companies/hospitals have written policies in place in regards to expiration. Most medications now will have a specific date such as 9-30-09 so there is no confusion.

If there is no specific date, it assumed that the end of the month will be allowable. Remembering, products do not immediately turn into pumpkins at the end of the firs of the month. Rather, the full content may not be regarded after the expiration point.

I find most expiration date a way to ensure products are bought regularly. How does an Combitube, IV catheter, needle expire? Seriously, sure after years and years they could be become brittle or package seal leak but in general it would take a long, long time.. alas they have you over the barrel.

R/r 911

 

[KEVD18]

Many companies/hospitals have written policies in place in regards to expiration. Most medications now will have a specific date such as 9-30-09 so there is no confusion.

If there is no specific date, it assumed that the end of the month will be allowable. Remembering, products do not immediately turn into pumpkins at the end of the firs of the month. Rather, the full content may not be regarded after the expiration point.

I find most expiration date a way to ensure products are bought regularly. How does an Combitube, IV catheter, needle expire? Seriously, sure after years and years they could be become brittle or package seal leak but in general it would take a long, long time.. alas they have you over the barrel.

R/r 911

better yet, im still waiting for someone to explain to me how a 4x4 in an undamaged package expires.....

 

[texmat3]

"When marking medication containers with expiration dates, make sure you put the correct month and year of expiration on the box. If the medicine expires on an exact date, for example March 3, 2009, it is better to write 02/09 on the box than 03/09. The 02/09 date will ensure the drug is rotated out of stock prior to the actual expiration date. For expiration dates with just the month and year listed, the last day of the month is considered the expiration date. In this case, a drug with August 2010 could have 08/10 written on the box."

The Paramedic by Chapleau, Burba, Pons, and Page. (C) 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. page 327.

 

[MSDeltaFlt]

Many companies/hospitals have written policies in place in regards to expiration. Most medications now will have a specific date such as 9-30-09 so there is no confusion.

If there is no specific date, it assumed that the end of the month will be allowable. Remembering, products do not immediately turn into pumpkins at the end of the firs of the month. Rather, the full content may not be regarded after the expiration point.

I find most expiration date a way to ensure products are bought regularly. How does an Combitube, IV catheter, needle expire? Seriously, sure after years and years they could be become brittle or package seal leak but in general it would take a long, long time.. alas they have you over the barrel.

R/r 911

Several years ago, I asked a hospital pharmacist this same question. He told me that after the expiration date, the manufacturing company could not guarantee the full content of the drug.

The same thing goes for 4X4's and the like. If medications can expire, so can the seals of the containers. After the the 4X4's expiration date, the manufacturing company can not guarantee the product's sterility. It'll still be clean, but clean and sterile are not the same thing.

 

[BossyCow]

I just spent several hours going through the stock in our district. While a 4x4 may not 'expire' its sure nice to have a reason to toss the ones with the yellowed paper that look like they are leftovers from Noah's Ark's first aid kit.