I admit it. Often when I don’t finish up all the pills in a prescription I find myself storing the bottle and its remains in my medicine cabinet “in case I need it later.” We’ve all self-diagnosed from time to time, haven’t we? But like groceries, medicine has expirations dates. The question is, how carefully do we need to heed those expiration dates on our bottles of Advil, Aleve and Children’s Tylenol? I decided to do some research.

It seems the answer it depends on what the medicine is, and who you are asking. The FDA requires drug companies to list a date when the product is “no longer 100% viable.” But most companies do not test their products past 2-3 years, so that is the cut off, or expiration date, you see on most bottles, when in fact most still work for up to 5-6 years. And like some people who won’t look at of milk once it passes the date on its carton, so goes their view on medications. While others think it is fine to use pills for up to a year past its expiration date.

The more complex the drug, the quicker it breaks down and loses efficacy, and the same happens with drugs in liquid forms (the form in which many children’s medicines are found).

Another thing to consider is proper versus improper storage of medicine, which can also add to a product’s breakdown. While liquid medicines can change colors and textures, it is harder to tell with pills. Many people store medicine in bathrooms or kitchens, but those are actually the worst place. Humidity from showers, dishwashers or cooking can ruin medications. The best location is actually a bedroom cabinet, a room where the temperature remains fairly level and is not exposed to humidity.

As a good rule of thumb, if your medicine is past its expiration date then it is time to get some more. If you have taken medicine – or administered it to your child – and later realized it has expired you will probably be just fine. But it never hurts to speak to the American Association of Poison Control Centers at 1-800-222-1222. They can tell you if the medicine you just took has any strength left to it, or if you need to take another dose from a newer batch.

In general you should keep an eye on your medicine cabinet and frequently purge those bottles with expired dates and keep your supply fresh. But don’t just throw out or flush expired bottles, because those pills eventually find a way back into our lakes and rivers. Your local pharmacy may accept expired medicine, or direct you to a location that will.

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