Do flu and cold remedies go bad?
Carl Labbe is a pharmacist at Banner Desert Medical Center. Question: Do cold and flu remedies go bad? Answer: We get this question a lot, probably because when most people come down with a cold or flu, they are unlikely to be standing in a drug store, looking at yards of remedies. Most of the time, we wake up and scrounge around looking for anything that will relieve our misery. It is only after swallowing the pills or syrup that we read the label and discover the medication expired two years ago. What does that mean? Well, the standard answer is, of course, “never take expired drugs,” and that is sound advice. R.C. Lyon, deputy director of product quality research at the FDA, recommends that consumers pay attention to expiration dates on drug bottles because shelf-life recommendations apply to drugs stored in original containers under ideal conditions. Once opened, air, humidity, temperature and light may all contribute to the early decomposition of the drug. The good news is there i
Misty Vo is a pharmacist at Banner Desert Medical Center. Question: Do cold and flu remedies go bad? Answer: We get this question a lot, probably because when most people come down with a cold or flu, they are unlikely to be standing in a drug store, looking at yards of remedies. Most of the time, we wake up and scrounge around looking for anything that will relieve our misery. It is only after swallowing the pills or syrup that we read the label and discover the medication expired two years ago. What does that mean? Well, the standard answer is, of course, “never take expired drugs,” and that is sound advice. R.C. Lyon, deputy director of product quality research at the FDA, recommends that consumers pay attention to expiration dates on drug bottles because shelf-life recommendations apply to drugs stored in original containers under ideal conditions. Once opened, air, humidity, temperature and light may all contribute to the early decomposition of the drug. The good news is there is
