It’s late in the night. And after a long day at work, you have a splitting headache. You rattle around in the bottom drawer of the bathroom vanity to find a packet of paracetamol tablets you know are hiding there.
Phew, relief is at hand! Then you turn the packet over and discover that the crumpled box of pills actually expired two years ago.
So are they really out-of-date, or would it be okay to take them just this once?
Well, the answer varies, depending on the type of medication, how it has been stored, over what period of time and whether it’s still in its original, sealed container.
Expiry dates were introduced for medicines around 30 years ago to signal the date beyond which the manufacturer can’t guarantee the full effectiveness and safety of the medication in its original sealed packaging. But that doesn’t mean it will suddenly become completely useless the day after it expires.
Take care of your health!
No comments:
Post a Comment