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I picked up my prescription of Concerta 27mg last July. Is it still good to take now?

4 Answers

omarfn 31 Dec 2023

Just an addition from personal experience.
If the seal has been opened, it's probably useless - given the moisture issue, unless you live in a very dry area.
I once took one that I had left in a cupboard in case I ran out. It was not "expired" but the bottle had been opened for a few months. The effect was basically nil. After reading the answers below I would assume it was exposed to moisture which the silica gel then absorbed, so it wasn't evident. I do live in Ireland so moisture is a constant.
From this experience I'm estimating that the shelf life once opened can be up to two or three months at best. But I can't find any official data.

Votes: +0
nicksaysword 7 Sep 2020

I would just like to point out that flushing prescription drugs down the toilet is not necessarily a "safe" way to dispose of them, as it can have unforseen ecological impacts. Other than that, all information here appears to be accurate. Thanks.

Votes: +1
Windchimes123 4 March 2017

Hi Missadd,
This is an interesting question. People with a big-time headache but the Aspirin is expired.
The expiration date is for something but not probably what you thought it was.
In 1979 the FDA required expiration dates to be placed on all prescription and OTC meds. This is the date that the manufacturer can guarantee 100% full potency.
Most of what is known about drug expiration dates comes from a study conducted by the Food and Drug Administration at the request of the military. With a large and expensive stockpile of drugs, the military faced tossing out and replacing its drugs every few years. What they found from the study is 90% of more than 100 drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, were perfectly good to use even 15 years after the expiration date.

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So the expiration date doesn't really indicate a point at which the medication is no longer effective or has become unsafe to use. Medical authorities state expired drugs are safe to take, even those that expired years ago. A rare exception to this may be tetracycline, but the report on this is controversial among researchers. It's true the effectiveness of a drug may decrease over time, but much of the original potency still remains even a decade after the expiration date. EXCLUDING nitroglycerin, insulin, and liquid antibiotics, most medications are as long-lasting as the ones tested by the military. Placing a medication in a cool place, such as a refrigerator, will help a drug remain potent for many years.

Is the expiration date a marketing ploy by drug manufacturers, to keep you restocking your medicine cabinet and their pockets regularly? You can look at it that way. Or you can also look at it this way: The expiration dates are very conservative to ensure you get everything you paid for. And, really, if a drug manufacturer had to do expiration-date testing for longer periods it would slow their ability to bring you new and improved formulations.
The next time you face the drug expiration date dilemma, consider what you've learned here. If the expiration date passed a few years ago and it's important that your drug is absolutely 100% effective, you might want to consider buying a new bottle. And if you have any questions about the safety or effectiveness of any drug, ask your pharmacist. He or she is a great resource when it comes to getting more information about your medications.
Info obtained from :
health.harvard.edu

Votes: +2
Missadd 4 March 2017

Thanks so much. I appreciate it. It's odd, my bottle doesn't have an expire date on it. That was the initial purpose of my question haha!

Stephen Treloar 2 March 2017

I personally would not be bothered at all, it probably has not even reached its use by/best before date yet. If it has, it can't be too far out yet. If the pills show evidence that they are moisture affected get rid of them safely (flush down the toilet or take them to a pharmacy for disposal).

Votes: +1
Missadd 2 March 2017

Thanks so much!! The bottle I have doesn't have an expire date on it, just when I purchased it. I read up on it, "shelf life 2 years".

No moisture either, it hasn't been opened previously.

Thanks
Amanda

Stephen Treloar 4 March 2017

Well, I'd say you were good to go. Seems that Windchimes and both read a similar paper on the military experiment and best before dates. As she agrees with the paper, then I have to say I concur.

Missadd 4 March 2017

Thanks so much. I appreciate it. It's odd, my bottle doesn't have an expire date on it. That was the initial purpose of my question haha!

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concerta, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), prescription

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