Faced with the temptation to keep expired medicines to avoid waste or simply forgetting them, many consumers wonder about their real effectiveness and safety once the deadline has passed. In this context, the consumer defense association analyzed several medications in order to determine whether, after their expiration, they are still effective or, on the contrary, dangerous for health.
Are we throwing away our medicines too quickly? To find out, UFC-Que Choisir measured the quantity of active substances present in the tablets, capsules and sachets of paracetamol and ibuprofen from 30 expired boxes. Result: “In 80% of cases, they contain enough active substance to be considered effective (at least 90% of that displayed on the box)”, indicates the consumer association on its site. “Out of 30 samples, most of them expired for years, the active ingredient content remained stable.” She denounces “an environmental, economic and health mismanagement” in a context where shortages and supply difficulties arise, particularly for paracetamol. By contacting the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM), it hopes to change the regulations.
Taking expired paracetamol is generally not dangerous, but its effectiveness may be reduced. The expiry date indicated on the packaging guarantees that the medicine will retain its full effectiveness and stability until (…)
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