Blogfinger

By Paul Goldfinger, MD.  Editor@Blogfinger

a.   1/11/17.  See #1 above.  This is the  ” fill date” which is when this prescription was filled at the pharmacy.
b.  06/22/17.  See #2 above: This is the “refills by” date This means that you can refill this prescription 4 times,  without any further input from your physician, before it expires on 6/22/17.  After that date, your doctor would  have to “re-fill” the Rx.

c.  01/11/2018. See #3 above. This is the “use by” date.  This tells you not to use the medication in this bottle after this date.  (see clarification below)

d.  06/22/16. This is the date that the prescription was written, but you won’t find it on the prescription. Refill date (#2 above) is set one year from the prescription date.

e. The expiration date  is unknown to the consumer.  That is the date which the manufacturer puts on the supply bottle to indicate that it may be unsafe to use after that date. That is the date which guarantees safety and potency of the drug up to that point.

The “use by’ date  ( #3 above)  is a state law which guarantees  safety even if you have opened the bottle. The”use by date” is always earlier than the earliest expiration date, so it is a good safety guideline.

I will not stick my neck out and tell you that it may be OK to use the medicine anyhow after that “use by”  date.

As for unopened over-the-counter meds   (such as lubricating eye drops) the company will give you their best recommendation for expiration date unopened.

Disclaimer:  I am not a pharmacist, and if you have any questions about your Rx, discuss it with your doctor or your pharmacist.  The purpose of this post is to clarify the meaning of those five dates, three on the label and two on your mind.

PROMISES PROMISES:  “A Fact Can Be a Beautiful Thing:”