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29 March 2024

DHA: Expired medicine can become toxic

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By Staff

Not disposing medicine when it is past its expiry date can be harmful as the substance can become toxic, advised the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).

In its bi-weekly Twitter clinic, it discussed the proper storage and disposal of medicine at home.

“After expiry, the chemical structure of medicines change and it breaks down. This can reduce the effect of the medicine, or the medicine may become totally useless.

“Worst case scenario is that it may become toxic. Bacteria and fungi can grow in expired medicines, which can increase their toxicity,” explained Mohammed Sameh, head of pharmacy at Rashid Hospital.

He added that liquid medicines such as antibiotics break down faster, and that eye drops should be disposed of one month after the date of opening because of the risk of bacterial or fungal growth.

Expired insulin injections have reduced potency which means if the patient uses such injections, it won’t bring down the blood sugar level to the desired extent and it may also have other harmful effects, added Nada Amiri, head of pharmacy at Latifa Hospital.

Rather than disposing expired medicine in the garbage, people should deliver them to the pharmacy.

As part of the Clean your Cabinet campaign, DHA pharmacies located across 16 DHA primary healthcare centres and DHA hospitals accept expired or unutilized medications that are dropped-off by the public.

Since the launch of this campaign in 2011, medicines worth approximately half-a-million dirhams are donated to UAE charities every month.

“Expired medication can pose serious health risks to individuals if not disposed off properly. Flushing down your medication is harmful for the environment and pollutes the water and disposing off the medicines in the garbage (even if it is tightly sealed) pollutes the soil.

“Therefore, the best way to dispose outdated medications is to return the medicines to the pharmacy for safe disposal,” said Sameh.

At the pharmacy, expired medications are disposed off in line with international pharmaceutical safety guidelines. Expired medications are first reevaluated by experts within the pharmacy department and if in good condition, they are donated to charities.

Finally, the doctors advised that medicines should be checked regularly so that the medicine box does not have expired medication.

“Medicines should be stored in a cool and dry place; they should be in one container that is out of the reach and sight of children and pets. These are basic precautions which parents should always keep in mind.

“Medicines should be stored below 25 degrees and medicines which need to be stored in the fridge should be stored between 2 to 8 degrees.”

Bathrooms and kitchens are not ideal places to store medicines due to exposure to sunlight, heat and humidity and that the ideal place to store medicine is in a dark place and cool place, added Nadia Mohamed Amour, said the acting head of pharmacy department at Dubai Hospital.