“The advice is always if you have expired medicines, you should throw them away rather than use them. The real reason for this is that with drugs, the expiration date is really the date that you can guarantee that that particular dose (in the bottle) is the dose that you can expect to get (benefit from) when you take it,” Kelly Grindrod , associate professor of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo, told Global News. Grindrod said this advice applies to all expired medications, whether in tablet or liquid form. Globalnews.ca will live stream a federal government announcement on drug shortages for children at 11 a.m. ET. However, if someone accidentally consumes expired medication, Grindrod clarifies that it will not pose a serious risk or danger to the body. It just means that they are not getting the dose they hope to get for their condition. Story continues below ad
Read more: Eye drops, allergy drugs among other Canadian drug shortages: industry experts
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Eye drops, allergy drugs among other drug shortages in Canada: industry experts
“The biggest risk is that they’re not going to be effective,” he said. “If you did that and found out later that the bottle had expired, I’m not sure I’d worry about it. But that doesn’t mean…go ahead and do it.” Grindrod explains that drugs degrade over time, and some degrade faster than others, depending on the type of drug and whether it was stored in a warm or humid place — this can cause it to degrade sooner than usual. “So instead of getting a dose (of value), say, 300 milligrams … you might only get 200 milligrams (product effectiveness) or 150 milligrams. … So, (they) are less likely to be effective,” he said. Now, does that mean there would be no side effects from consuming expired medications? Grindrod said she’s “not sure” that can be said. “The concern is more that it will have lost its power than that it will be harmful,” he said. 5:50 Additional children’s cold/flu drugs are coming to Canada Canadians have been affected by worsening over-the-counter and prescription drug supply issues, with industry experts saying there is a growing list of drugs that are running out or out of stock, from children’s allergy medications, cough and cold syrups to the eyes. drops and even some oral antibiotics. Story continues below ad Pam Kennedy, a pharmacist and owner of Bridgewater Guardian Pharmacy in Nova Scotia, told The Canadian Press earlier this week that up to 30 per cent of prescription drugs are now on backorder, with some brands experiencing shortages stretching into early 2023 . Current trend
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“I don’t think there’s been liquid Buckley’s available in months,” Kennedy said of a popular brand of cough syrup. “The lack of cough and cold was problematic.”
Read more: Canada secures more foreign shipments of children’s painkillers amid ongoing shortage
However, Grindrod said the shortages reported across the country should not make Canadians, especially parents, feel overly concerned, noting that there will be relief in the supply chain. “We are being told that there is a product being imported at the moment that will be going to community pharmacies across the country. … So we expect these products to be back on the shelves soon,” he said. Health Canada announced Monday that new shipments of painkillers for children will be available for retail purchase in the coming weeks. The shipments are the federal government’s latest efforts to secure extra supplies of painkillers for children amid shortages of both acetaminophen and ibuprofen for children that have continued since the summer. Story continues below ad Grindrod said one of the biggest problems leading to supply chain issues is that since the summer, fear of a supply shortage has led to a lot of stockpiling of the drug in Canada. “You might be buying three bottles of something. … Do not do that. … It just adds to the problems and you end up with a bunch of expired products,” Grindrod said. 2:57 Health Canada official cites “confidential” agreements when asked how many pediatric drugs are coming to Canada Dr. Dina Kulik, pediatrician and founder of Kidcrew, said all medications lose their effectiveness over time. “That’s the biggest risk. Medicines rarely become dangerous or potentially toxic if they are expired. Much more common is that they don’t work as well,” he said, advising people to get rid of expired drugs. Kulik also said that despite the shortage, there are still plenty of options when it comes to over-the-counter medication at many pharmacies. Story continues below ad “If you can’t get access to the medication you usually use for your child, it’s a good idea to touch base with your pharmacist,” Kulik said. “They may have alternative options for you, such as crushing adult pills depending on your child’s weight and health conditions, using chewables, suppositories or other alternatives such as compounded medicines,” she added. READ MORE: How Much Children’s Pain Medicine Is Coming to Canada? The employees are mum, but they say details are coming However, parents don’t have to do this alone, Grindrod said. A pharmacist can use an adult version of the drug that may be in short supply and adjust the dose based on the child’s weight to make it safe, he said. “Don’t look it up on the internet and don’t figure it out, but go and talk to a pharmacist or talk to your family doctor and they’ll help you. We can take care of the children … even if we have this shortage of children’s products, it’s a little more work, but we can do it,” he said. When it comes to adults, however, it’s much easier. Grindrod said an adult can go to a store and simply pick up a new bottle or ask a pharmacist for an alternative, but stresses not to use expired products. Story continues below ad “Don’t take products that have expired. We’re not sure they’ll work. Instead, your best bet is to talk to your health care provider,” Grindrod said. — with files from The Canadian Press and Teresa Wright of Global News
