The honest answer is…probably most oral pill or capsule medications are good for longer than their expiration dates. How long? I don’t know. For some medications, I would feel comfortable using on my own pets if they were expired by 1 to 2 years. Longer than 2 years, then I’d replace. If my pet was REALLY ill â then I would NOT use any expired medication. If my pet was…itching and it was 3 am and all I had was some expired Benadryl â I’d probably try it. This is what I would do and does not mean that it is right or wrong.
There are several factors that can affect the “shelf life” including exposure to light, lack of appropriate refrigeration, and eventually…the chemical instability of the product that can occur with time. This last is the part that can be hard to determine with many products.
Most liquid medications that are not reconstituted also have a shelf life of 1 to 2 years but once reconstituted (mixed with water â such as powered amoxicillin is mixed with water) â most expire in about 7 to 14 days depending on the specific product. Most will have a longer shelf life if they are refrigerated. However, there are a few liquid medications that are less stable if refrigerated and they should clearly say so on the package.
Medication still in powder form is probably still good for 1 to 2 years beyond the expiration on the label.
Before you use any liquid medication â make sure that the color is the same and there are no abnormalities. If it was previously clear and it is now cloudy â even if it has NOT expired â I’d question the stability of this medication. Follow the recommendations on the bottle for best results regarding the shelf life.
What antibiotics become toxic after expiration?
Currently, only the antibiotic tetracycline is known to be harmful when expired. In several reported cases, expired tetracycline has caused Fanconi syndrome, a rare form of kidney damage that can lead to severe dehydration.
How long do antibiotics last expire?
Depending on the manufacturer, the stock bottles will typically carry an expiration date of two to three years. However, pharmacists commonly make the expiration date on your prescription about one year — as long as that fits into the expiration time on their stock bottle.
Certain expired medications are at risk of bacterial growth and sub-potent antibiotics can fail to treat infections, leading to more serious illnesses and antibiotic resistance. Once the expiration date has passed there is no guarantee that the medicine will be safe and effective.
Amoxicillin capsules and tablets have an expiry of around 2 years and, provided they are stored as recommended and in the original packaging, there will be a small lee way of safety if used beyond expiry. Amoxicillin suspension is different and has a very short shelf life of about 7-10 days once it is prepared.