Can I still use the ibuprofen I bought last year?

After opening the medicine

The expiration date is much shorter than the validity period

Instructions or packaging box

Marked validity period

Refers to the validity period when unopened

**** How ​​do you calculate the shelf life of the medicine after it is opened?

Common household medicines

How much is the validity period reduced after opening?

They are all below, take a look!

Oral preparations

1. Solid granule drugs

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For independently packaged medicines , after opening the outer packaging, the small packaging inside is not damaged, and the medicine has not come into direct contact with the air, which is equivalent to being unopened. You can use it according to the expiration date marked in the instructions! It does not affect the expiration date .

Such as board-packed tablets, board-packed pills, bagged granules, etc.

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For non-independent packaging , repeated opening of the lid to take out medicine will increase the risk of drug contamination and physical and chemical degradation. Therefore, the validity period of the drug after opening is generally within 6 months or 25% of the remaining validity period of the drug (whichever is shorter). Therefore, it will affect the validity period .

Such as bottled tablets, capsules

The hospital uses ordinary paper medicine bags to package medicines. Since the paper bags are not well sealed and easily absorb moisture, it is recommended that the medicines be taken within the course of treatment.

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Particularly unstable medicines , such as nitroglycerin tablets , need to be stored away from light in a sealed small brown glass bottle, and a new bottle of medicine should be replaced every three months. If carried with you for a long time, the shelf life should not exceed 1 month because the human body temperature is higher than the required storage temperature.

2. Liquid oral medicines

Once opened, the syrup can be stored at room temperature for 1 month if it is not contaminated.

After opening, the oral solution and suspension can be stored at room temperature for 2 months if they are not contaminated.

The preparation is prepared into a suspension by adding water and needs to be taken multiple times . It can be stored at room temperature for 14 days after preparation.

3. External preparations

❗️ If the instruction manual indicates the expiration date after opening, the expiration date must be strictly followed.

❗️ If there is no clear stipulation in the instructions, according to the 2020 edition of the "Chinese Pharmacopoeia": Unless otherwise specified, ophthalmic preparations, ear preparations, and nasal preparations can be used for a maximum of 4 weeks after activation .

❗️Ointment can be stored for up to 2 months after opening.

IV. Injections (insulin, etc.)

The injections commonly available at home are mainly insulin injections.

The instructions for insulin injection clearly state that it should be stored at 2-8°C away from light and should not be frozen. After opening, it can be stored at room temperature (below 30°C) for about 4 weeks (the specific number of days is based on the instructions).

5. Nebulized inhalation medication

Some single-dose vials of inhalation medications with outer packaging, such as salbutamol sulfate for inhalation and terbutaline sulfate nebulized inhalation solution , should be kept away from light after the outer packaging is opened and used within 3 months.

It is generally recommended that the opened single-dose vial be used immediately, and a new single-dose vial should be used for each inhalation therapy.

Pharmacist reminder

⚠️ After the medicine is opened, the opening time can be noted on the packaging, and the outer packaging box and instructions should be kept; if the instructions clearly mark the storage conditions and expiration date after opening, they should be stored and used strictly in accordance with the instructions.

⚠️ After opening the medicine, observe the appearance, smell, color, shape, etc. of the medicine before using it again. If there is any change, throw it away decisively. If you cannot judge whether the medicine has deteriorated, do not use it!

⚠️ If the medicine packaging contains cotton balls, paper, etc., they should be thrown away after opening to avoid contamination of the medicine.

⚠️ Take care to prevent contamination during the use of medicines. For example, for multiple-dose oral liquid preparations, do not drink directly from the bottle. Use the measuring cup that comes with the medicine or bring your own to take an appropriate amount of liquid medicine. Wash and dry it after use for later use.

⚠️ The home medicine cabinet should be cleaned regularly, and it is recommended to be cleaned once every 3 months.

References

[1] Qian Peipei, et al. Discussion on the expiration date and use period of drugs[J]. Chinese Journal of Pharmacovigilance, 2018, 15(07): 414-418.

[2] Chinese Pharmacopoeia Committee. Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China[M]. Volume 4. Beijing: China Medical Science and Technology Press, 2020.

[3]FDA. Expiration Dating of Unit-Dose Repackaged Solid Oral Dosage Form Drug Products[EB/OL]. (2020-07). https: //www.fda.gov/media/70985/download.