Reaching for your medicine box while suffering from a headache, you discover that the medication has expired. Can you still take it? Many people may even take one or two pills of the same expired medicine as they feel guilty about throwing away costly medicines. Let’s examine whether or not it is okay to reuse medicines that have expired.
The Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940 and the Rules of 1945 govern the regulation of medicines in our nation. It also regulates the stamping of the date of expiration on every drug. According to the regulations, all medicines must have a potency date on them. The date printed on the medicine’s container, label, or wrapper indicates when its potency expires. This is to make sure that the buyer is aware of the longest period that the medicine may be stored on the shelf.
Taking expired medicine is the same as risking your health. First off, the medicine can not work as intended and might make the pain worse instead of better. Expired medicines may cause further issues in the body, leading to other disorders or diseases.
In the worst situation, your kidneys and liver may suffer damage from expired medicines. If the expired medicines negatively impact your metabolism, you may have allergies.
It is advised that you always check the date of expiry before taking medication.