The Truth About Expiration Dates
October 2, 2011
27 Comments
Hey Preppers,
As a physician,I get a lot of questions about expiration dates on medications, and whether medications should be thrown out once they hit that date. In the preparedness community, most of us accumulate medicines for use in an uncertain future. Part of that uncertainty is not knowing when or if our society will finally enter a full-blown collapse. Even government agencies wonder if all the medical supplies they’ve stockpiled will still be effective years after expiration. So, let’s discuss what an expiration date really means.
Expiration dates have been mandated for medications since 1979. The expiration date is the last date that the pharmaceutical company will guarantee that the drug is at 100% full potency. Except in very rare cases, there is no evidence that suggests that there is anything harmful about that medication if used after that date. In other words, they don’t magically become poisonous or cause you to grow a third eye in the middle of your forehead. Now that you know that, the question is whether the drug loses its beneficial effects and how fast it does so.
FEMA and the Department of Defense are government agencies that stockpile huge stores of medications for use in the event of a major emergency, such as a natural disaster or national emergency. FEMA has seen massive stores of medication expire, and so a study was commissioned to find out how effective these expired medications still were. This study is known as the Shelf Life Extension Program (SLEP). This program has evaluated at least 100 medications that were expired for at least 2 to 10 years at the time they were evaluated. This includes many commonly used antibiotics and other medications that could mean the difference between life and death in a collapse situation.
After extensive study, the vast majority of these medications were found to be completely effective for their intended use, including some that were 10 years beyond their expiration date. In the most recent swine flu epidemic a couple of years back, the SLEP granted an official use authorization for a popular anti-viral drug, Tamiflu, that extendrf its use to 5 full years after its expiration date. The other medicines, however, have not had official use authorizations announced, even though this information would be useful to millions of people. I first wrote about this in my article on survivalblog (7/28/10) called “A Doctor’s Thoughts on Antibiotics, Expiration Dates and TEOTWAWKI”. Since that time, I have found that I can no longer access the results of the study, as it now takes special access to get to the information in it. My guess is the pharmaceutical industry might have had a hand in this; they prefer that people throw away their medications the day after the expiration date, so they can buy “”fresh” merchandise. Despite this, you can obtain a back copy of The Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vol. 95, No. 7, July 2006, where you will find a summary of the SLEP data.
Therefore, I put forth to you this recommendation: Do not throw away medications that are in pill or capsule form after their expiration dates if you are stockpiling for a collapse. Liquid medications are different, such as insulin or liquid pediatric antibiotics; their formulation causes them to degrade too quickly. A sign of this is a change in the color of the liquid, among other things. Try not to accumulate drugs in liquid form unless there is no other choice. On the other hand, tablets or capsules will be effective when we no longer have the ability to mass-produce these medicines, even if they lose some potency over time.
I’m aware that this is against the conventional medical wisdom, but we may find ourselves in a situation one day where something is better than nothing. Also, research natural remedies that may have antibacterial action, such as garlic and honey. Remember that drugs will retain their effectiveness best if stored in a cool, dry, dark location.Planning ahead, we all must consider all alternatives in the effort to stay healthy in hard times. Don’t ignore any option that can help you achieve that goal.
Dr. Bones
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Hi Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy,
I am a diabetic who has been accumulating insulin for several years. I routinely use insulin past it’s expiration date but have had bottles that were bad. Fortunately I know what to do and how to handle issues which arise from high blood sugar as wel as low blood sugar. For someone like me who has a very good handle on their blood sugar (HA1C 6.4), knows medically what their body is doing and checks their blood sugar multiple times a day, picking up on a bad batch happens very quickly. In a grid down situation most diabetics will not be in good shape simply because too many put 100% faith and control into medical professionals and don’t educate themselves on their “disease”. They simply don’t know what to do by themselves. The bottom line is that some insulin can be bad which will cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. The only way to know this is to check blood sugars. A person with diabetes needs to know how to check their blood and know how to compensate for the amount of glucose in their blood. A person who is not well versed in diabetes management or who is rebelling against their disease now, WILL have difficulties which will lead to death in a SHTF situation. Diabetics need to prepare and educate themselves and others.
I also think it is still important to stockpile insulin, but also stockpile gymnema sylvestre, bitter melon, chromium picolinate, ginseng, as well as oral anti-diabetic agents which could help reduce the amount of injected insulin in a SHTF situation. It is also important to stockpile blood checking strips that use a machine (as well as extra machines and batteries) but also to stockpile blood checking strips that can be read without a machine. Urine strips would also be important to have on hand.
Again, experimenting on oneself is a risky prospect which can cause many issues if the diabetic (or their family) don’t know how to handle highs and lows. A diabetic can best prepare by getting to know their body and how it reacts to different things. Many foods such as potatoes, rice, bread… can cause high blood sugars. Checking blood sugar before eating these foods and 1/2 hour to 1 hour afterward can help a person learn about their bodies. The best diet a diabetic can follow is to basically eat meat and vegetables with a fruit for dessert. Checking blood sugars constantly, learning how their body reacts to different foods and making adjustments will help as well.
Hi Homesteader,
Excellent advice on a difficult subject. Expect stockpiled Insulin to lose potency relatively quickly, more may be necessary if it has expired.
Dr. Bones
How long would insulin be usable if buried to keep it cooler?
joan+18
It would probably lose potency within a month after its expiration dates. Liquids, unfortunately, don’t have the shelf life of pills or tablets.
Dr. Bones
I also think it is still important to stockpile insulin, but also stockpile “gymnema sylvestre, bitter melon, chromium picolinate, ginseng, as well as oral anti-diabetic agents which could help reduce the amount of injected insulin in a SHTF situation”.
Are you Type 1 or Type 2? Would these supplies be beneficial to Type 1?
joan+18