How do I know if a medicine has expired?
Look for the expiry date printed on the box, strip or bottle, often marked EXP or just a month and year. If today is after that date, the medicine has expired and should not be taken. If you cannot find a date, ask your pharmacist.
Check it in four steps
- 1Find the date. Look on the box, the blister strip or the bottle label for EXP or a month and year such as 08/2027. A month and year usually means the last day of that month.
- 2Compare it with today. If the date has passed, treat the medicine as expired, even if it looks normal.
- 3Check how long it lasts once opened. Some medicines, such as eye drops, liquid antibiotics and some creams, last for a shorter time after opening. The leaflet or label says how long.
- 4Check how it was stored. Heat, damp and sunlight can spoil a medicine before its date. A bathroom shelf is a poor place; a cool, dry cupboard is better, unless the label says otherwise (for example, keep in the fridge).
In short
If a medicine has expired, do not take it: according to the US FDA, an expiry date shows how long a medicine is known to stay stable when stored as labeled, and a tablet can look fine after its date and still contain less of the medicine than it should. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of it; many pharmacies take old medicines back. To avoid surprises, track the expiry date of every medicine in one place.
How Pharmacy Cabinet helps
- Scan the barcode or photograph the box, add the expiry date once, and the app remembers it for you.
- Expiry alerts show what is expired or about to expire as soon as you open the app.
- Everyone in the family sees the same list, so an expired box does not sit unnoticed in someone else's drawer.
- Works in your browser and as an Android app, in six languages. You can start free.
Photograph or scan a box and Pharmacy Cabinet fills in the details for you.
Pharmacy Cabinet helps you keep information organized. It is not medical advice: always follow your pharmacist's or doctor's instructions.
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More guides
- Home medicine cabinet organizer: know what you have in minutes
- Medicine expiry tracker: never find an expired medicine again
- Family medicine cabinet: one shared medicine tracker for everyone
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- Medicine tracker and reminder app in your own language
- Barcode scan or photo of the box: which identifies a medicine best?
- The best way to keep track of medicines at home: notebook, spreadsheet, alarm or an app?
- Can I take a medicine from another country?