What this covers
The expiry date is the last date the manufacturer guarantees full strength and safety when the medicine has been stored correctly. After it, medicines may gradually lose potency — and poor storage in heat shortens real-world shelf life well below the printed date.
Safe-use guidance
- Check expiry dates at purchase and again before each use — read the format carefully (month and year; valid until the end of the stated month).
- Go through your home medicine stock every few months and remove anything expired or unidentifiable.
- Note the secondary shelf life: many eye drops, syrups, and reconstituted antibiotics expire weeks after opening regardless of the printed date.
- Dispose of expired medicines responsibly — return them to a pharmacy where possible rather than tossing in open waste or down the drain.
- Store medicines properly; a 'valid' date means little if the pack has lived on a hot windowsill for a year.
Cautions
- Expired medicines for critical conditions — antibiotics, insulin, heart and seizure drugs, inhalers, adrenaline — should never be relied upon, as underdosing can be life-threatening.
- A few degraded medicines can become harmful, not just weak — particularly some old antibiotic formulations.
- Tampered or re-printed expiry dates are a known counterfeit trick — be suspicious of stickers over the original date.
- Liquid medicines, creams, and suppositories degrade faster than tablets in heat — judge them more strictly.
How GoDoctor helps
GoDoctor delivers fresh stock with healthy shelf life from verified pharmacies, and a pharmacist can review your home medicine cabinet by chat to tell you what to keep, replace, or discard.
Prescription medicines always require an in-app consultation with a licensed doctor first — the e-prescription then goes straight to a licensed partner pharmacy for dispensing and delivery.