Health Tip of the Week, sponsored by Baton Rouge General: Do expiration dates on medications really matter?

Expiration dates are based on testing that drug manufacturers do to determine how long the medication is fully effective if stored properly. That means that if you store your medicine properly and take it before the expiration date, you can feel confident it will work. Taking it after the expiration date could mean it doesn’t work as well. It’s unlikely you will be harmed by taking recently expired vitamin C tablets or ibuprofen, but it’s safest not to. If your medication looks decayed or melted, definitely don’t take it. There are some medications you should never take past the expiration date such as eye drops, antibiotics, insulin, epi-pens, and nitroglycerin. Learn more about medicine expiration dates.