FAK expiration dates

[Jimmy24]

Well I was going through my FAKs yesterday, checking dates and all, I finally had a simple though. I made a list of all the date sensitive items and taped it to the cover of my kits. All my kits are in clear containers so with just a glance at the box I can tell now what's out of date and what's not.

Earth shattering huh....:o :rolleyes:

You'd think someone who has been prepping as long as I have would already figured that one out....I've caught up with you some now...:p

Jimmy

[robsdak]

see, i had thought about it, but some how got side tracked. thanks for the heads up, i need to replace a few things.

[ladyhk13]

FYI...many many items are safe years beyond their exp date so don't throw it out unless it's a liquid and you can tell that it's bad. Most all Rx.s can last easily 15 years past their dates. There is a thread here somewhere where we discussed this very topic.

[ldsparamedic]

I find it interesting that items I currently carry on my ambulance now have expiration dates when they did not have them only a few years ago. If the packaging is intact, I would not worry about replacing most things. Stuff like iodine and alcohol now "expire". Really!!?? I would be hesitant to keep meds very long past their expiration dates however. Some are OK, some lose their potency but some degrade into very harmful substances, especially antibiotics. Unless you know exactly what your med will deteriorate into, I would be very cautious about using it much further than a few months past the expiration date.

[robsdak]

my concern is more with sutures and the prep pads. because i have opened several and they are dry. meds and such get rotated every few months (scrip meds) and non-scrip on or before the exp.date.

[ladyhk13]

I find it interesting that items I currently carry on my ambulance now have expiration dates when they did not have them only a few years ago. If the packaging is intact, I would not worry about replacing most things. Stuff like iodine and alcohol now "expire". Really!!?? I would be hesitant to keep meds very long past their expiration dates however. Some are OK, some lose their potency but some degrade into very harmful substances, especially antibiotics. Unless you know exactly what your med will deteriorate into, I would be very cautious about using it much further than a few months past the expiration date.

Actually the DOD and the FDA has done extensive testing into this area and found that most drugs are safe many many years past their exp dates. Some do degrade (liquids are ones that happen often - but even epi pens are fine as long as the liquid is still clear) but if kept in origional packaging and NOT in the bathroom, in a cool dark place meds can last 10-15 years with minimal if any degredation.

Of course Dr's, pharmacies and pharm co's will usually tell you not to use past the expiration date - although my pharmacist told me the other day that my epi's are good for at least a year after which tells me that they are good for even longer than that, due to legal and monetary issues.

Here is just one site (governmental) that talks about their experiments and findings. I'm sure there are many more sites out there with more info but this one gives the basic info. http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=44979

[Songbird]

I still have pain meds from 11 years ago.....saving in case of another crisis with ruptured disks in my neck! It was such horrible pain that I am afraid to get rid of them. So do you think they have deteriorated into something harmful?

[ldsparamedic]

One note about epi pens and nitro. Epinephrine and nitro tablets are heat sensitive. They need to be kept in cool, dark place in order to ensure viability. What is the concern for using suturing materials past their expiration day?

[ladyhk13]

I'm not a doctor so you have to use your own judgment...the old versions of tetrecycline were not stable like they are now. They changed the chemical compound so now they last longer than their expiration date although I'm not sure how much longer compared to others. Normal antibiotics and pain pills can last from what I have read for 15 years or so without losing their potency if stored properly. Over time most meds will lose their ability to perform their funtion. The things that I would worry more about going toxic would be things like vitamins. Liquid meds will lose their potency not long after expiration but honestly I have rx cough meds that are a couple years past exp dates that I still use but each person takes it upon themselves to see if they want to use it. I smell it every time to make sure it hasn't changed first.
Other than that, if you are unsure it's always best to throw them out and feel safe.

[2die4]

Great idea.

[Katrina]

Can tell you aspirin loses it's potency and can make you very sick if too old. My pop took some aspirin one time I was at his house. About an hour or so after he took it I thought I was going to have to take him to the ER, he was so sick to stomach. From the expiration date on the bottle, it was 11 years old. No he didn't just keep an old bottle and reuse it. It honest to gosh was 11+ year old aspirin, he only used aspirin in a "blue moon" his words so he never replaced old stuff. Called his Dr. and was told to watch him but TG pop didn't have anything more than an upset stomach.He did catch heck from his doctor at the next visit about hanging on to old meds and not properly storing them.

[ladyhk13]

How things are stored is the key to everything. Never store in the bathroom if you plan on using them for LTS. The moisture will degrade the meds very quickly.

[apssbc]

I knew I read this somewhere. Here is some info on one of the studies done on old medications. Its reported the Viet Kong used antibiotics 40 years after their expiration. Tetracycline is the only med I have heard that can degrade and become toxic. I'm sure there are others but they are not top of the list for what we would normally stock pile. Nitro is good for about a year regardless how stored then it looses its potency, and liquid meds are good about 1-2 years after expiration IIRC

http://www.pharmalot.com/2012/10/what-expiration-your-drugs-may-last-a-long-time/

[Evolver]

How things are stored is the key to everything. Never store in the bathroom if you plan on using them for LTS. The moisture will degrade the meds very quickly.

I'll add to this... UV's (light) and temps are also a huge factor on the longevity of lasting times on basically anything that we/you store for long term so... the dryer, the darker and the cooler the better.

[ladyhk13]

Here is an article that explains many questions and what was done regarding testing by the gov't. You can also look up the SLEP (program) and go through the hoops to read it - it's a gov't web page and kind of a pain in the butt to find and once you get into it pretty detailed reading...more than I wanted to bother with once I finally found it last year but it was out there. Anyway, here is a link to a good article with info:

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/health/drugs-may-outlast-label-date-584901/