Are expired medications safe to consume? Here’s what experts say – GLOBAL

November 18, 2022

Canadians should avoid stockpiling and consuming expired medication, some experts say, as drug shortages continue to trouble the country.

“The advice is always if you have expired medications, you should dispose of them rather than use them. The real reason for this is that with medications, the expiry date is really the date that you can guarantee that the specific dose (on the bottle) is the dose you can expect to receive (benefits for) when you take it,” Kelly Grindrod, associate professor of pharmacy at the University of Waterloo, told Global News.

Grindrod said this advice applies to all expired drugs, whether in tablet or liquid form.

However, if someone does consume expired medication by accident, Grindrod clarifies that it won’t pose any serious risk or danger to the body. It will only mean that they are not getting the dose they’re hoping to get for their ailment.

Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/9283897/expired-medication-safety-side-effects/