Just as autumn is appropriate for cleaning our yards, experts say it's also the perfect time to do the same for your medicine cabinet. As part of the Medicine Cabinet Safety campaign, consumers are being urged to use the start of the flu season as a catalyst for cleaning out their medicine cabinets and then restocking for winter. At the very least, expired medications can be ineffective, but they can pose other problems, says Dr. Jeffrey Brown, a pediatrician and director of the general pediatrics division at Denver Health.
Medicines tend to have a very short shelf life.
Formulations degrade over time and can become either ineffective or not well-tolerated in terms of the ingestion. Even if a medication hasn't expired, it might be a good idea to get rid of aging duplicates, he says. Experts say you may also want to think about where that medicine cabinet is. If it's in the bathroom, as most are, medications may get too much humidity and sunlight. Ideally, you want a location that's dry, away from heat and direct sunlight and, of course, out of the reach of small children, so a hall closet might be most appropriate.