26.7.23 Is It OK to Use Expired Medicine? Find Out Here...

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Is It OK to Use Expired Medicine? Find Out Here...

유통기한이 지난 약을 사용해도 될까요? 여기서 확인해 보세요...

David B.

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Here's a little bit of good news that might end up saving you piles of cash: You can actually ignore the expiration date of many different drugs for up to years!

여러분의 주머니속 현금을 크게 절약해 줄지도 모르는 약간의 좋은 소식이 있습니다. 사실 많은 약들의 유효기간은 최대 몇 년 동안은 무시해도 된다는 사실입니다!

According to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), certain kinds of medication may retain much of their potency for as many as 40 years...  

미국 의학협회지(JAMA)에 발표된 보고서에 따르면, 특정 종류의 약물은 최대 40년 동안 효능의 상당 부분을 유지할 수 있다고 합니다...

Why Do Drugs Have an Expiration Date?        의약품에는 왜 유통기한이 있을까요?

According to the Harvard Health Letter, an expiration date is a legal requirement that has been imposed by the FDA since 1979.

'하버드 헬스 레터(Harvard Health Letter)'에 따르면, 유효기간은 1979년부터 미국 식품의약국(FDA)이 부과해 온 법적 요건입니다.

It is meant to be the date until when "the manufacturer can still guarantee the full potency and safety of the drug.”

이는 "제조사가 약물의 완전한 효능과 안전성을 보장할 수 있는" 기한을 의미합니다.

However, research shows that 90% of more than 100 types of medication, both over-the-counter and prescription, are fine to use even 15 years after they have supposedly expired.

그러나 연구 결과에 따르면, 일반의약품과 처방약을 포함해 100여 종의 의약품 중 90%는 표기된 유효기간이 지난 지 15년이 지나도 문제없이 사용할 수 있는 것으로 나타났습니다.

A report from Medscape claims that expiration dates don't tell you how long the medication “is actually ‘good’ or safe to use”, and in fact, many medical authorities claim that it's okay to take most drugs well after they've supposedly expired.

메드스케이프(Medscape)의 한 보고서에 따르면, 유효기간은 약이 “실제로 얼마나 오랫동안 ‘유효’하거나 안전하게 사용할 수 있는지”를 알려주는 것은 아니라고 하며, 실제로 많은 의료 전문가들은 대부분의 약은 표기된 유효기간이 지난 후에도 꽤 오랫동안 복용해도 괜찮다고 주장합니다.

How Long Past the Date Is OK?    유효기간이 지난 후에도 얼마나 더 복용해도 괜찮을까요?

The JAMA study went well past 15 years, with the researchers analyzing different medications with 14 distinct active ingredients in them that had expired anywhere between 28 and 40 years ago.

JAMA 연구는 15년을 훨씬 넘겨 진행되었으며, 연구진은 28년에서 40년 전에 유효기간이 만료된 14가지 서로 다른 유효 성분을 함유한 다양한 의약품을 분석했다.

Their findings revealed that most of the active ingredients were still at least 90% effective, which is considered to be the minimum potency acceptable.

연구 결과에 따르면, 대부분의 유효 성분은 여전히 최소 90%의 효능을 유지하고 있는 것으로 나타났는데, 이는 허용 가능한 최소 효능 수준으로 간주된다.

The only drugs which fell below this threshold were aspirin, phenacetin (a painkiller), and amphetamine (for ADHD and narcolepsy).

이 기준치 미만에 머문 유일한 약물은 아스피린, 페나세틴(진통제), 그리고 암페타민(ADHD 및 기면증 치료제)뿐이었다.

The former director of the FDA’s testing program, Francis Flaherty, said that “expiration dates put on by manufacturers typically have no bearing on whether a drug is usable for longer.”

미국 식품의약국(FDA) 검사 프로그램의 전 책임자인 프랜시스 플라허티는 “제조사가 표기하는 유효기간은 일반적으로 약품이 그 기간 이후에도 사용 가능한지 여부와는 무관하다”고 말했다.

He also said that these dates were typically used for “marketing, rather than scientific, reasons… it’s not profitable for them to have products on a shelf for 10 years. They want turnover.”

그는 또한 이러한 유효기간이 대개 “과학적인 이유보다는 마케팅상의 이유로 사용된다”며, “제조사 입장에서는 제품이 10년 동안 진열대에 놓여 있는 것은 수익성이 없다. 그들은 재고 회전을 원한다”고 덧붙였다.

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Notable Exceptions    주목할 만한 예외의 약들

Here are a few drugs that you should always throw out after their expiration date has passed:

유효기간이 지난 후에는 반드시 폐기해야 하는 약품은 다음과 같습니다:

• Insulin                            • 인슐린

• Liquid Antibiotics            • 액상 항생제 

• Nitroglycerin                  • 니트로글리세린

• Tetracycline                   • 테트라사이클린

How to Make the Right Decision                올바른 결정을 내리는 방법

“Given that Americans currently spend more than $300 billion annually on prescription medications,” the JAMA report states, “extending drug expiration dates could yield enormous health-care expenditure savings.” 

JAMA 보고서는 “미국인들이 현재 처방약에 연간 3,000억 달러 이상을 지출하고 있는 점을 감안할 때, 의약품 유효기간을 연장하면 의료비 지출을 대폭 절감할 수 있을 것”이라고 밝혔습니다. 

If you're thinking of taking an expired drug, you should first consider what it is and why you need to take it.

유효기간이 지난 약을 복용할 생각을 하고 있다면, 먼저 그 약이 무엇인지, 왜 복용해야 하는지 고려해야 합니다.

If it is listed in the exception list above, or if your life depends on it being 100% effective, then throw it out and get some unexpired medication instead.

만약 해당 약이 위의 예외 목록에 포함되어 있거나, 약의 100% 효능이 생명과 직결되는 경우라면, 그 약은 버리고 유효기간이 남은 약을 새로 구입하십시오.

You should be fine otherwise, but if you have any questions, then make sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist first.

그렇지 않은 경우라면 별다른 문제가 없겠지만, 궁금한 점이 있다면 반드시 먼저 의사나 약사와 상담하십시오.

All You Need to Know About Medication and How to Use It

Boris J.

Medication, in this day and age, is part of our lives. Especially as we get older, pharmacies start looking more and more like candy stores! There's just a lot we need to look after and treat, and as we grow older, medication becomes more than crucial - it's life-saving.

However, medication is a powerful tool, affecting our whole body chemistry. We need to be extra careful with medication if we don't want to damage our bodies or get addicted. That is why we've brought you these 12 guides on medication, from improper and dangerous use to lower your medical bills. A lot of great information is here for you to browse at your leisure.  

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The Hidden Dangers of Over the Counter Medications

Sold freely in pharmacies without regulations or being under medical supervision, you might think that over-the-counter drugs are safe to take, but painkillers like Ibuprofen and Paracetamol can be detrimental to your health.

Prolonged use of some of these drugs can lead to extensive damage to the liver and kidneys, and even heart attacks and strokes. In light of this information, let's look at the dangers of taking over-the-counter drugs and how they can be avoided. 

9 Medication Mistakes You Should Avoid

The numbers are nothing less than shocking – no less than 1.5 million people are injured or made ill due to medication mistakes, and some 100,000 of those actually end up dying each year. The sad thing is that all these deaths are completely preventable. The answer to avoiding such tragic and unfortunate situations is to protect ourselves from the following medication mistakes.

Medicine Efficacy Differences Between Men & Women

Men and women have several biological differences, and their systems react differently to certain chemicals and stimuli. In this article, we discuss the development of gender-based medicine, which works to provide appropriate medication for each gender. We will also list the 9 most common types of medications that have diverse effects on men and women.

Weight Loss Drugs and Their Common Side Effects

There are a number of FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) approved medications that can be used to treat obesity. However, while they have been proven to aid weight loss, they all have side effects - some that are serious. Everyone should be aware of these side effects, so we have provided them in the article.

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9 Things Your Pharmacist Wants You to Know

The queue at the pharmacy might be annoying, but it’s long for a reason. The pharmacist has a ton of things to do – and it takes time to do them right. People should realize that rushing a prescription is a lot like telling a pilot that he doesn’t need to check the landing gear before taking off. In this article, you can find 9 things your pharmacist wants you to know.

Find Out Which Expired Drugs Are Fine to Take

Here's a little bit of good news that might end up saving you piles of cash: You can actually ignore the expiration date of many different drugs for up to years! According to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), certain kinds of medication may retain much of their potency for as many as 40 years.

Tips to Lower Your Medical Bills

Trying to navigate the world of healthcare and keeping your medical bills in check can be extremely overwhelming. The following tips will help you to understand the process while saving you a considerable sum of money.

Medications That Don't Mix With Exercise

When it comes to mixing exercise with medication, the latter can sometimes affect the former. Therefore, if you’re using medications, you really need to know all of their potential effects, good and bad, on you. Here’s a quick scoop on which meds could be clashing with your cardio.

7 Instances Where Ibuprofen Can Be Dangerous

Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that’s designed to reduce inflammation and pain-causing hormones in the body. It’s loved by athletes and depended on by women who suffer from menstrual cramps, but the reality is that ibuprofen isn’t as benign as you might think. Here are 7 instances where ibuprofen can actually be dangerous.

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7 Medications that May Cause Depression

While medications are supposed to make you feel better, which most of the time they do, they also come with side effects. While unwanted, they are usually minor, though in some cases, they can be serious. Some drugs may cause depression, regardless of whether or not you're predisposed to mental health problems. Here are some commonly used drugs that are sometimes linked to depression. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you're taking any one of these.

What You Need to Know About the Birth Control Pill

Did you know that 9% of women of reproductive age take the pill worldwide? What most of them don't know, however, is that the seven placebo pills taken in the final week of the four-week cycle are unnecessary. While it is always a good idea to check in with your health provider first, with the pill it is possible that you do not even have to have your period at all. Instead, you can take it continuously for as long as you like. 

Safety Tips For Neck & Back Pain Medication

Understanding how to correctly use drugs is key to successfully recovering from neck and back injuries and for your overall wellbeing. While the plastic prescription bottle clearly states the dosage, there are often many questions that are left unanswered. Keep reading to discover 10 of the most important back and neck pain medication safety tips.