I think I know the answer to this but just confirming.... If a med (lets say an epi pen...) has an expiration date of 5/22, should we stop using it at the beginning or end of the month? 1 Likes More Like This Medication Safety in the Childcare Setting by Diane Covel, RN Can you hold medications without a doctor's order? by Guest878640 Nurse have to know So much and partly play the role of doctor and pharmacist - eek! by Nunurse0821 Unsatisfied Patient by summertx CST drew up and administered medication....and it was wrong amount by Alyk3309
NutmeggeRN, BSN Specializes in kids. Has 39 years experience. 8 Articles; 4,503 Posts May 5 End of the month is what I use...and we all know that many meds are fine for much longer than their expiration date. 2 Likes
arlingtonnurse 101 Posts May 5 48 minutes ago, NutmeggeRN said: we all know that many meds are fine for much longer than their expiration date. Totally agree but we also all know how far that logic would go in excusing a med error... not far at all.... This was one of the reasons that I have always assumed it was the end of the month... but realized today I wasn't actually sure (my MA had thought the opposite, that all my 5/22 exp epis had already expired and we couldn't use them). 4 Likes
Flare, ASN, BSN Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma. 5 Articles; 4,427 Posts May 6 I say end of the month, too. Of course, the real trick is getting parents to bring in a new, unexpired med. 7 Likes
Keeperofbandages, LPN Specializes in School Health. Has 8 years experience. 129 Posts May 10 In my district, we have to go by the pharmacy label's expiration date. 1 Likes
NutmeggeRN, BSN Specializes in kids. Has 39 years experience. 8 Articles; 4,503 Posts May 10 3 hours ago, Keeperofbandages said: In my district, we have to go by the pharmacy label's expiration date. I think the OP is asking for when it says 5/2022... is it May 1 or May31? 2 Likes
CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN Specializes in Community health. Has 4 years experience. 785 Posts May 11 I bet there's a customer-support number listed on the instruction sheet that you could call and ask. 1 Likes
cadenza0123, MSN, RN Specializes in Adult Cardiac, School Nursing. Has 1 years experience. 15 Posts May 11 I've always assumed that if the month is listed, the med is good through the end of the month. I read an article recently a study that was done on epi-pen efficacy after expiration and the general consensus is that it is stable up to 7 months after it expires. Granted, like arlingtonnurse said above, it probably would leave you on the hook if an expired med was administered, unless you could prove that you attempted to contact the parents multiple times for a new one and never received a reply. 1 Likes
Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN Specializes in OR, education. Has 17 years experience. 5 Articles; 10,923 Posts May 11 Quote If a manufacturer drug bottle lists an expiration date as a month and year (e.g. 3/2023), the expiration date is the last day of the listed month, per the USP (United States Pharmacopeia) I have never used the first as the expiration of meds or supplies unless the day was explicitly printed on the package. 3 Likes
