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| Remember that bottle of Valium you lost?; It may still be good! | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 31 2006, 07:31 PM (154 Views) | |
| George K | Jul 31 2006, 07:31 PM Post #1 |
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Finally
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Outdated drugs often still good By JOSIE HUANG Blethen Maine Newspapers Copyright © 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. In Scott Holt's kitchen cabinet sits a vial of cholesterol medication, at least a year past the expiration date, and a bottle of ibuprofen that expired who knows when. Holt refuses to toss them out, though -- not until he's done taking all the pills. "Shelf life," said Holt, a 44-year-old personal trainer from Portland, "is a very subjective thing." It's not unusual for people to clean out their refrigerators and closets more often than their medicine cabinets. A Harris poll, in fact, found that nearly half of Americans have used drugs past their prime. But the critical role that medication plays in people's lives begs the question: Do the drugs still work? Many drugs do last past the expiration date, according to experts, but exactly how long remains a guessing game. Pharmacists and toxicologists urge people to err on the side of caution, but the rising cost of health care has some patients and groups such as AARP, which represents older Americans, increasingly open to taking the risk. In a recent newsletter, the AARP suggested that Americans were throwing away billions of dollars' worth of perfectly good drugs by following manufacturers' expiration dates or "discard after" instructions from pharmacists. James Toedtman, the Washington, D.C.-based editor for AARP Bulletin, said replacing drugs is a burden for senior citizens struggling with a fixed income, high gas prices and the rising cost of living. "We've got to find ways to help people taking prescriptions better afford them," Toedtman said. "One way to do that is not to force them to buy expensive drugs every three months because of an expiration date that may or may not be based on fact or science." One argument for saving aging drugs dates back to 1985, when the Air Force was stuck with a large stockpile of drugs approaching their expiration dates. Though it opposes the use of expired drugs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration found that many in the stockpile remained effective after the manufacturer's expiration date -- in some cases, even several years later. The military ended up saving $263 million from 1993 to 1998. The life of the military stockpile was extended because it was stored under optimal conditions -- carefully controlled room-temperature warehouses and, when necessary, refrigerators. This protects medication from heat, light and moisture -- all of which can cause ingredients to degrade. But some pharmacists worry this vigilance does not translate to the civilian world, where it's not uncommon to store drugs in hot glove compartments and the medicine cabinets of steamy bathrooms. "This affects the coating. It affects the integrity of the tablet and liquids too," said Betty Golub, co-owner of the Kennebunk Village Pharmacy. She not only tells all her customers to observe expiration dates, but helps them dispose of outdated drugs. As a rule of thumb, people should ditch their old drugs if they were not stored properly, said Mark Polley, director of pharmacy professional services at Hannaford Bros. |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| dolmansaxlil | Jul 31 2006, 07:33 PM Post #2 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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I'm thinking if you're talking about something like Ibuprofin, and the worst thing that happens is it's not going to be effective, I don't see the harm in trying it. |
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"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson My Flickr Photostream | |
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12:15 AM Jul 11