Ghost Quick Question: Expiration Date

[tryn4#2]

I have some follistim that expired on 05/2010. The pharmacist said that he felt it was okay to use now. What are your thoughts about using it now? Is it okay....

[margi26]

I was always told no more 6 months past expiration date...and only if 100% certain it has been refrigerated and unopened. A full year past would make me worried....let's see what Ghost or others have to say. I know it is hard because the stuff is so darn expensive. but we have so much at stake and would hate to not use effective medication.

[Ghost]

I have some follistim that expired on 05/2010. The pharmacist said that he felt it was okay to use now. What are your thoughts about using it now? Is it okay....

Officially, I am supposed to say you cannot use it after the expiration date. But your pharmacist trumps any opinion I have.

But what exactly happens at midnight on that date? All the molecules suddenly break down? No, it cannot work that way.

Another strange thing is that drugs we buy at the pharmacy (the ones they place in the little brown child-proof bottles for us) always get an expiration date 1 year after we buy them, regardless of the expiration date on their original bottle.

Some of these meds have expiration dates on the outside that are different from those on the inside. Menopur, for example, sometimes has one date on the box, and different dates on the bottles in the box.

This expiration date stuff is so screwy it's almost worthless.