Community Chat

[FranandZoe]

Like Sage04 said - pharmacist would know more than the dr.  

[Annabellethecat]

My Dr once told me most medicines don't go 'bad'...they just loose their potency after awhile.

It does though (probably) depend on the medicine.  If in question call your Dr and talk to the pharmacist.

I call my pharmacist if I have any questions.  I've been given some medicines they've never heard of but they do the research and let me know the answer to my question.

Again, the Dr is the best person to answer any and all questions about medication THEY prescribed.

[Vivian Florimond]

I don’t know about frozen pills although I imagine they’d be OK. My primary care doctor told me not to worry about those expiration dates. My dermatologist told me the same thing about prescription creams and ointments

[mom2four0418]

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@Sage04 wrote:

Why call the Dr who prescribed it? The Pharmacist knows more about drugs than the Dr. If it werent for my Pharmacist, I would have had a lot of problems from a drug my Dr prescribe which would have counteract with another drug that my Dr previously prescribed.

I would take both (the one from last year and then the one that was left out in the cold).

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The OP said that pharmacist told her that there is no harm in taking it but may not be effective.  That is information that I would want my prescriber to know.

[Laura14]

To clarify medication expiration dates, they are NOT sell by dates. They are the date the medication started to lose potency after several controlled studies which are a requirement of the FDA drug approval process.

The expired one is only a month gone so probably has about 90% or more of its effectiveness left. It will slowly lose more as time goes on. Temperature can and does affect ingredients so go with the pharmacist that it could have made the new drug inert and be totally worthless.

I'd go with expired since you know there is potency there albeit potentially slightly less than full strength.

[January121]

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@MaeE wrote:

Personally, I never take statin drugs..I think they do more harm than good..personal experience

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@MaeE .... I agree 🙃

[twopeas]

@FranandZoe JMO, I would take either one. If it was a heart medication, I might check with my Dr., but Lipitor even if not as effective, probably won't adversely affect your health in just one month.

[lovesrecess]

They may not be authorized to refill since your husband just picked one up....maybe he would need to take the newest one up to the pharmacy and see if he can swap it for a new one that hasn’t been “frozen”. For the pharmacist to say it won’t hurt to take it but it may not do what it’s aupposed to do is silly.,.you only are taking it for what it’s supposed to do! Good luck. If no refill, I vote for the expired one.

[Mindy D]

I’d take the 12/18 RX. 

[Mindy D]

The monograph for Lipitor says “Keep from freezing.” So use the 12/8 bottle.