What happens when you take expired Midol?

Not Medical Advice: According to Health.harvard.edu, the expiration date on a drug does signify something, but probably not what you think it does. Since a law was passed in 1979, drug manufacturers are required to stamp an expiration date on their products. This is the date at which the manufacturer can still guarantee the full potency and safety of the drug.

Most of what is known about drug expiration dates comes from a study conducted by the Food and Drug Administration at the request of the military. With a large and expensive stockpile of drugs, the military faced the prospect of discarding and replacing its drugs every few years. What they found from the study is that 90% of more than 100 drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, were perfectly good to use even 15 years after the expiration date.

Thus, the expiration date does not necessarily indicate a point at which the medication is no longer effective or has become unsafe to use. Medical authorities state that expired drugs are safe to take, even those that expired years ago.

A rare exception to this may be tetracycline, but the report on this is controversial among researchers. It is true that the effectiveness of a drug may decrease over time, but much of the original potency still remains even a decade after the expiration date.

Excluding nitroglycerin, insulin, and liquid antibiotics, most medications are as long-lasting as those tested by the military. Storing a medication in a cool place, such as a refrigerator, will help a drug remain potent for many years.

Medicines play an important role in treating many conditions and diseases, and when they are no longer needed, it is important to dispose of them properly to help reduce harm from accidental exposure or intentional misuse.

Here is a list of some options and special instructions for you to consider when disposing of expired, unwanted, or unused medicines, shared by FDA.gov.

Do you take a long list of drugs to manage serious health problems? Or do you simply reach for an over-the-counter medication from time to time? Either way, there is a lot you can do to ensure you get the most benefit from the medication—and stay safe in the process. These medication safety tips are a good place to start, shared by WebMD.