During CAP's practice survey site visits with members, many questions arise about medication expiration dates, their validity, and what practices should do. For example:
Does the expiration date on a bottle of medication or injectable mean anything?
Can it hurt the patient if they take the oral medication given or receive the injectable that expired? Or, will it simply have lost its potency and do no good?
Drug manufacturers were first required to stamp an expiration date on their products in 1979. The medication expiration date means that the medication is safe, the chemical composition is correct, and the medication will work as intended if handled and stored appropriately.
After the expiration date, the manufacturer is stating that there are no guarantees of full potency and/or safety of the drug. Knowingly giving a patient a medication that has lost its effectiveness or may be unsafe is a serious issue.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that a medication not be used after its expiration date. Does your practice have a process in place to help you adhere to this recommendation?
Offices managers need to establish a process to ensure that all medication expiration dates are routinely checked. The process should include:
- Identifying all medications normally used in the office (in procedure rooms, exam rooms, office medication refrigerators, emergency carts, and sample closets.)
- Designating a specific staff member to be responsible for checking expiration dates.
- Checking all medications at least every thirty (30) days.
- Discarding outdated medications. (To see the FDA's recommendations for disposal of unused medicines, click here.)
Authored by
Susan Jones
Senior Risk Management & Patient Safety Specialist
If you have questions about this article, please contact us. This information should not be considered legal advice applicable to a specific situation. Legal guidance for individual matters should be obtained from a retained attorney.