How long after the expiration date does methylphenidate remain potent?
Question posted by CF-1343 on 7 March 2015
Last updated on 22 April 2021 by WildcatVet
3 Answers
If it's been stored in a cool dark place away from direct light it could last for years after it's expiration date.
From The National Library of Medicine:
"Medication's potency gradually decreases starting from the moment of its manufacture. This process is not in any way spontaneous after the expiry date.
Expired drugs have not necessarily lost their potency and efficacy. The expiration date is only an assurance that the labeled potency will last at least until that date. Ongoing research shows that stored under optimal conditions, many drugs retain 90% of their potency for at least five years after the labeled expiration date, and sometimes longer. Even 10 years after the expiration date many pharmaceuticals retain a significant amount of their original potency.2
Solid dosage forms, such as tablets and capsules, are most stable past their expiration date. Drugs that exist in solution or as a reconstituted suspension may not have the required potency if used when outdated.
The best evidence of acceptable potency of the medications beyond their expiration date is provided by the Shelf Life Extension Program (SLEP) undertaken by the FDA for the Department of Defense. The aim of the SLEP program was to reduce medication costs for the military. SLEP has found that 88% of 122 different drugs stored under ideal conditions should have their expiration dates extended more than 1 year, with an average extension of 66 months, and a maximum extension of 278 months. Certain medications have a narrow therapeutic index and little decreases in the pharmacological activity can result in serious consequences for patients."
I took some that was prescribed to me when I was 7 it was on prescribed in 94 the year is now 2021 and the medication worked just fine, it was stored in one of my father's old storage units. Yes I know it is dangerous to take well expired medications but it was stored in a dark cold storage unit at the bottom of a box and had not lost its color or potency. That's all I can answer for this post
There is no answer on something like that. It depends on how it was stored etc.
Related topics
methylphenidate, expiration, expiration date
Further information
- Methylphenidate uses and safety info
- Methylphenidate prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Methylphenidate (detailed)
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