Your Expired EpiPen May Be Okay According to the FDA
There is a shortage of epipens , life-saving adrenaline autoinjectors . I tried to pick them up at the pharmacy last night before my child with a peanut allergy heads back to school (she needs one device for her class and one for her extracurricular program) but was told that I can only buy one because of lack of supplies.
Because so many patients are struggling to get the drug, the FDA has just released “extended use times” for some EpiPens as well as the generic version made by Pfizer’s Meridian Medical Technologies. This means that the device you were ready to throw away can be used for another four months, if that’s all you have. See if your EpiPen has an extended date of use in this chart .
Be aware that while research has shown that EpiPens retain most of their activity years after they supposedly “expire,” manufacturer Mylan claims that the date on a drug is the last day they can be sure it is “Safe and effective”. The FDA advises that if you can get a new EpiPen during the renewal period, you should use it instead of the old one. Continue to store the EpiPen as directed on the label and do not use it if the solution appears discolored (pinkish or brownish) or contains particulate matter .