medicine use by dates - meaningful?

[yogabird]

are they like food? will they harm you? not work? I have found sachets of kiddy ibruprofen use by sept 2006, throw or give to dd with sore throat?

throw

I suspect it's nonsense. It might go a bit crystal-y from the syrup perhaps but I would definitely use.

ring your local pharmacist.

I think it's easier to put a use by date on than to guarantee the quality of it for life. But how is it going to go off?

I don't know about ibuprofen, but aspirin is not safe to use - something in it degrades and it becomes stronger.

Also I can personally vouch for the fact that Ventolin in completely ineffective after a couple of years past its use by date.

I heard liquid medicines CAN become stronger with time as a result you may accidentally give an overdose so personally I would throw it away.

I think it varies with the medicines - some will start to degrade - others will probably be fine.

I think the length of the shelf life is a good guide - if it had say 5 years to start with it is unlikely to be much different at 6 years. If it had a 3 month shelf life then I would not want to use it at a year.

I guess with medicine it is not worth the risk.

by the way - you are supposed to return to a pharmacist for disposable for many medicines.