Why You Should Check Medicine Expiry Dates

What an expiry date means

The expiry date is the last date up to which the manufacturer confirms the medicine works as intended, when it has been stored correctly.

Good habits at home

• Check the expiry date when you buy a medicine and again before you use it.
• Go through your medicine box every few months and set aside expired items.
• Note the date you open bottles of syrup or eye drops — some must be used within a set time after opening, as written on the label.

Expired medicines

Do not use medicines past their expiry date. Keep them out of reach of children until you can dispose of them, and ask your pharmacist about safe disposal.