BehindTheMedspeak: What should you do with medications that have reached their "discard by" dates?

I've been meaning to address this topic for a long time (years) but have been unable to find much information beyond the standard advice (discard them properly, preferably by returning them to a pharmacy for environmentally-friendly disposal).

OK, no one would argue with that course of action, certainly not me.

But does the medicine do a stagecoach turn and revert to a pumpkin, as it were, on its discard date?

No, it doesn't.

In fact, the discard date is always conservative, meaning that the drugs in a container (assuming they were stored properly in the dark in a closed medicine chest or cupboard) will retain their efficacy and potency for a significant period of time beyond their expiration date.

How long, joe?

Assuming the discard date is one year from the day dispensed — pretty much the rule in the U.S. — I'd say you could count on six more months at pretty much full potency.

Even after that the drugs will only gradually lose their strength, at a rate dependent on their origin (natural or synthetic), class, molecular structure and method of storage.

Still, as a rule I'd still advise discarding drugs as directed on the label, but I also am realistic and aware that for many people it's not easy to pay for their medications.

The advice herein is primarily for those who find themselves in a money and/or access crunch and at a loss as to how to proceed.

As a rule of thumb it would seem to me that keeping medications in the refrigerator would prolong their life span.

However, if there is even the smallest possibility that a child might open that refrigerator, far better to keep the medications in a protected location.

As to putting drugs in the freezer: I wouldn't do it.

Why?

Because freezing and then thawing might somehow introduce moisture into the container, causing degradation and loss of potency.

Anyhow, the outline above is pretty much how I deal with "discard by" dates.

You might well disagree.

In fact, I hope you do, and I'd be delighted to learn more about this curiously unaddressed — at least in the medical and pharmacological literature I've consulted – subject.

Note that I'm not talking about expiration dates, which are usually two to five years after the date of production and apply to unopened containers.