>>I do feel that expiration dates are placed on things for a reason, and am >>not sure that I would want to use expired medications or foods for the >>fuzzies in my charge. > >Yes, this is true, but if you are familiar with a product, the expiration >date is just a "warning" of "the time is almost up" more than it really has >gone bad. Most food products date code their packages for "guaranteed freshness", however, manufacturers or canneries vary and can push this date to a maximum. And this date is valid ONLY under reasonable transportation and storage practices. But when it comes to medications, it is a different criteria altogether. The exp. date is a reasonable *safe* guarantee of the limit the medication is stable providing optimum storage and care. With medications, it is not just the available active ingredient that is important but also how it is assimilated once administered. Further, it is usually ill-advised to split or break apart some medications that incorporate coatings or time release formulations due to this critical assimilation. Some medications are photosensitive, many are temperature and humidity sensitive (most to extreme degree changes like in and out of refrigeration) and some are sensitive to levels of air left in the sealed container. Careful consideration is given when manufacturers and pharmacists package or repackage medications. Medications should not be stored or transferred into inappropriate containers that are either too large, untinted(when required), incompatible material, etc.. Some believe generic medications are inferior to original manufacturers. There have been some data collected that appear to support this, such as findings of large variations in potency and in some cases, stability that may be due to different binders and or processes being used, and even patient reported or observed responses; and there appears to be some classes of medications that appear more prone to generic instability or incompatibility than others such as for thyroid disorders. The findings for these variations are not entirely clear nor are they conclusive. Suffice to say that some debate continues and different practices exist. Some, but not all medications change color, consistency and/or appearance when degrading, and your pharmacist can often tell you what to look out for. Many pharmaceutical companies offer a toll free number offering another source of information. Remember, whenever medication is dispensed to you, you are entitled to the full "insert" or Pt information supplied *by* the manufacturer, and not just an abridged printout often offered by some drug stores. best wishes, until next time, alphachi [Posted in FML issue 2169]