Be Warned: Expired Medicine Cover-Ups
Six deceiving facts about expired medications.
Just like bottled drinks, milk, canned goods etc. all medicine has an expiration date indicated in their labels or containers. It is a requirement by the Food and Drug Authority upon its approval for the general market.
Disappointingly, some drug outlets- hospitals and clinics in particular, ignore the expiration date’s importance and dispense expired drugs, solely for business reasons. Without even knowing it, you could have been a victim.
The following can be useful in recognizing expired medications.
Scissor Cuttings
This is a usual strategy in selling expired tablets and capsules. Drugstore personnel simply cut the part of the blister or foil pack where the expiration date is indicated. This is not noticeable when buying in quantities below ten since, the pack will be cut according to the customer’s request.
Expiration in ointments and creams in foil tubes can also be taken care by scissor cuttings. The expiration dates engraved in the tubes end is sliced then folded to prevent its content from leaking. Definitely, this medicine tube will be given to the customer without a box.
Acetone Cleaning
This is done in blister and foil packs when the expiry date is written in ink. A piece of cotton is dabbed in acetone- a liquid chemical also used as nail polish. They do it neatly; wiping the expiration date, yet sometimes, leave the lot number just to confuse their customers.
Tablet Loosening
When the first two options above would not work, they resort to this strategy. Pharmacy or drugstore personnel loosen the tablet or capsule into a container and then attach a false expiration date.
Marker Magic
There are two types of marker used- the silver-Grey color and the black type.
Silver-Grey marker is applied in blister or foil packs, covering its expiration date written in stubborn ink. Black marker on the other hand is used in bottled medicines- syrups, suspensions, drops. They do not give the box and using this black marker, they scribble the direction or dosage directly on the expiration surface.
Blade Scrape
This is also done in bottled drugs. They would remove the box and simply scrape the expiration date with a razor blade as neatly as possible.
Re-Bottling
When the use of a blade or a marker can be very obvious, they re-bottle. A really desperate measure in selling bottled medicine.
While some multinational drug companies claim that their products can still retain potency even after five years of expiration, most health practitioners believe that medicine only loses effectiveness after its six month expiration allowance. As a result, they sell expired medications, risking the health of their patients or customers.
Expired drugs can be very harmful. In extremely rare cases, the use of these medicines had led to seizures and even death. The commonly prescribed antibiotic tetracycline, for example, can degrade into a poison over time, when it ages and result in death.
In addition, taking expired antibiotics may also aggravate rather than destroy an infection. The bacteria builds up its defenses and that could lead to a super-infection. This will make a person really ill, instead of curing him.
Be on a look-out for any expiration cover-ups. Your life could be at stake.
Marker Magic
This is applied for bottled medicines- syrups, suspensions, drops. They do not give the box and using a marker, they scribble the direction or dosage directly on the expiration surface.
Blade Scrape
They would remove the box and simply scrape the expiration date as neatly as possible. This is also done in bottled medications.
Re-bottling
When blade scrape and using marker can be very obvious, they re-bottle. Some really desperate measure in selling bottled medicine.
Liked it
Unofre Pili | Dec 8, 2008 | Reply
A very important article.
Debra. | Dec 8, 2008 | Reply
Those are excellent tips. Some, I will watch out for. This an article that every one should read. Thank you for bringing such an important topic to our attention. God bless!
Inna Tysoe | Dec 8, 2008 | Reply
Thank you for this warning.
Best,
Inna
Shafi choudhury | Dec 8, 2008 | Reply
Thank u so much for this article! I always wondered why medicines need expiration dates!
Dendro Azures | Dec 8, 2008 | Reply
Wow, thanks for the information. We usually don’t require too many medicines throughout the year, but something to keep an eye out for when we do.
–Dendro
Jeoffrey Meister | Dec 8, 2008 | Reply
Thank You for the information. I didn’t realize the extent companies/manufacturers would go to to save a buck.
Bozsi Rose | Dec 8, 2008 | Reply
Good to know, and scary!
Juancav | Dec 8, 2008 | Reply
Remarkable,I knew about expiration ,but not the tricks,to avoid the controls.Thank you.
nobert soloria bermosa | Dec 9, 2008 | Reply
very helpful article,lots will benefit from this
eddiego65 | Dec 9, 2008 | Reply
A must read article.
Geo X | Dec 10, 2008 | Reply
Nice info. Knowing is half the battle.
Ruby Hawk | Dec 11, 2008 | Reply
that is really frightning. I didn’t know about this practice. How can we know if our medication is safe? We can’t watch them prepare our medication.
BC Doan | Dec 13, 2008 | Reply
So important to know..and very scary
Clay Hurtubise | Dec 13, 2008 | Reply
Good article. As a pharmacist, I have never met anyone who would do this. We are monitored closely by state authorities and , for us, our companies. I have worked for several chains and all have the same policy, pull expiring products off the shelf two months prior to expiration date. They receive credit from the manufacturer, and is simply bad business to sell expired meds. More importantly is how the consumer STORES their medicine. Keep medications out of the medicine cabinet! Moisture is a drugs worst enemy. When in doubt, throw it out.
Most drug store store personnel is simply too busy to try to resell damaged goods, when a refund is easier to obtain.
This isn’t to say outdated merchandise is out there, it is. This also goes for food products in your local supermarket. As always an informed buyer is a smart buyer.
Thanks,
Clay
MMV Abad | Dec 14, 2008 | Reply
Thank you for commenting friends. It is my deep sorrow that people in my country still do this kind of crime.
@ madame Ruby, if a health personnel intends to sell a really bad product. They will give you all the excuses they can think of. If you are not sure of something just don’t buy. Anyway our money always deserves the best.
@ sir Clay Hurtubise, I congratulate your place for such an honest practice. God bless us all!
Ronald Johnson | Sep 30, 2009 | Reply
Most medications are safe even past the expiration date, especially when stored in a cool dry place. The efficacy may decrease over time, however, most are still safe to take if neccessary.
In all my years of pharmacy I have never purposely altered the expiration date of any product, nor have I ever seen any other pharmacist or technician do this.
We routinely check our shelves for medications which are soon to expire. All medications that are soon to expire are labeled with a red sticker to indicate that they should be watched more closely.
Drug companies will usually issue the store/company a refund for the cost of the drug if it expires and is unopened. All you have to do is send it back.
Although these pratices may happen, as a professional I have never seen them and would like to say that other professionals take their duties of public health and safety very seriously and would not conduct themselves in this manner.
MMV Abad | Sep 30, 2009 | Reply
Good for you, sir. Thanks for leaving a comment