Expired pills – health and environmental hazards
The vast majority of us have medicines, syrups, creams or ointments in the house that we used at one point, after which they were stored in a certain place, either because we no longer need them or because they have expired.
What is the expiration date of a drug
The date on the packaging of a medicinal product is the last day on which you can administer that product because after that date the manufacturer will no longer guarantee its effectiveness and safety.
It is important to note that the expiry date refers to a sealed, unopened product. There are treatments such as syrups, ointments, ophthalmic solutions which, after opening, change their shelf life in conditions of exposure to humidity, low or high temperatures, light, etc.
It is important to read their package leaflet and, if you encounter such situations, write down the date of opening or expiration after use with a pen on the packaging.
How dangerous expired drugs can be
Well, it is difficult to answer, as most medicines (especially blister packs) do not necessarily lose their properties after the expiry date. For example, under optimal storage conditions, aspirin loses its effectiveness after 5 years.
Medicines used for allergies can be effective for up to 8 years after manufacture.
However, the term does not apply to antibiotics because most products in this class change their properties. However, the risk is represented by the boomerang effect, the consumption can lead on the one hand to the inadequate treatment of the health problem, and on the other hand to the increase of the resistance of the infection to the respective antibiotic.
There are types of medications that, once consumed after expiration, endanger your health, risking developing symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, fainting, severe allergies.
What do we do with expired drugs
There are information campaigns for the population, but unfortunately not sufficiently publicized, through which the population is informed that it is forbidden to throw them in the trash. Burning them can cause serious poisoning, beyond the danger to the environment, and dumping in the canal affects the flora and fauna.
Improperly recycled, expired drugs are a real danger to both health and the environment. This is beyond the fact that their disposal is prohibited by law.
Both in Romania and in other countries, expired medicines are delivered in pharmacies, which have precise regulations regarding their recycling.
In conclusion, we advise you that when you clean in the medicine drawer, you hand them in the crumbs.
