I was just wondering. If so how long are they good for if they are prescribed and you buy them in bulk? I
2006-09-05 05:21:49 · 16 answers · asked by spice2621 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Other - Pregnancy & Parenting
Yes, they expire...not sure how long they are good for though. All medication expires though after a certain amount of time.
2006-09-05 05:23:58 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
all pills expire, if the pills are bubble packed in plastic then there should be a batch number and an expiry date stamped on the plastic, if not and they came in a bottle from a pharmacist then consult the dispensing pharmacy for an approximate date for when the pills expire.
you should never bulk by pills unless you are a pharmacy dispensing them as they could eventually expire and become ineffective by the time you want to take them.
i know this because after a back operation a couple of years i bulk bought my pain Med's but because they were ineffective i ultimately ended up having to throw them away wasting money. and yes they had expiry dates and batch numbers on them as all medications are supposed to have. here in the UK that is i don't know the law for the USA regarding pills.
however as i said the dispensing pharmacy should be able to give you the date the pills expire.
most pills are good for about two years from the date of manufacture before they expire.
2006-09-05 12:36:25 · answer #2 · answered by thebestnamesarealreadytaken0909 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
" Are expired pills still effective?
I was wondering how soon after the expiration date my birth control pills will lose their effectiveness? Would there be any unusual side effects to taking expired bills and does it matter the brand?
Only the pharmaceutical manufacturer knows for sure. They usually set expiration dates on all meds with quite a margin of safety so I expect they would at least have a margin of 6 months after expiration date but I honestly don't know and the manufacturers don't publish that info that I know of. While no one could officially recommend taking pills that are expired, if they were less than 6 months old I don't think I'd throw them away.
Would there be any unusual side effects to taking expired bills and does it matter the brand?
I would guess the only side effect would be ineffectiveness and if anything, the lower dose pills would loose their effectiveness sooner. "
At the most I would buy them in 6 month increments.
2006-09-05 12:26:32 · answer #3 · answered by tharedhead ((debajo del ombú)) 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they expire. All drugs do, regardless if they're prescription or not.
Unless you have a prescription filled that comes in the original packaging from the manufacturer (as opposed to one of the brown pharmacy bottles) that has the expiration date printed right on the bottle, most prescription drugs are good for one year from the date of having it filled. There are very few drugs that will actually harm you if you take them when they're expired--the main concern with expired drugs is that they're less effective. (e.g. You take expired Tylenol for a headache. It won't hurt you, but chances are you'll probably still have a headache after taking it.)
2006-09-06 12:05:21 · answer #4 · answered by brevejunkie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they do expire and your pharmacist shouldn't let you buy them to far ahead anyway because of their expiration date. Always ask your pharmacist when you get a prescription filled (no matter how much he or she dislikes it) for the expiration date. Some don't check the date unless you ask and you could be getting pills that are closer to the expiration date to begin with so they won't last as long. I would think that you wouldn't want to buy them to far ahead anyway just in case you happened to get pregnant. Accidents do happen, you know. Then you have all those extra pills lying around, going to waste. That's just my opinion but it makes sense to me.
2006-09-05 12:49:04 · answer #5 · answered by Marty F 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes darling, they sure do expire. I don't know exactly how long they are good for, especially is they had been sitting on the pharmacy shelf for six months, rule of thumb for scrips is normally a year... look on the container for an expiration date, if you can't find one, you better take them where you bought them from and ask them to tell you. Don't take chances, cause when my doctor gave me my birth-control pills, they warned me of which ones to take first before they expired. I get samples from the doctor rather than by from the pharmacy.
2006-09-05 13:01:28 · answer #6 · answered by Michelle Lynn 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All pharmicuticals expire and as for buying in "bulk" a responsible Dr. will only write perscription for 11 months to make sure you come back for your yearly exam.
2006-09-05 12:35:08 · answer #7 · answered by autumn_hendrix 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they do expire. It's a good idea to read the package to determine when the expiry date is. If it's not given, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
2006-09-05 12:24:13 · answer #8 · answered by Blue Jean 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, just like any other prescription they will expire. They should have an expiration date on them.
2006-09-05 12:24:06 · answer #9 · answered by Renee S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes all pills expire. look at the packaging and it will have the expiration date on it. they are not effective if they are expired. Just so you know
2006-09-05 12:27:31 · answer #10 · answered by Medical Assistant 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋