An expiration date or expiry date is a previously determined date after which something should no longer be used, either by operation of law or by exceeding the anticipated shelf life for perishable goods. Does the expiration date on a bottle of a medication mean anything? If a bottle of Tylenol, for example, says something like Do not use after June 1998, and it is August 2002, should you take the Tylenol? Doctors give trusted answers on uses, effects, side-effects, and cautions: Dr. MATOS on azithromycin expiration date: All expired medication should be considered ineffective and discarded. Tetracycline Hydrochloride reference guide for safe and effective use from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (AHFS DI). It depends on many factors: How long past the expiration date are the drops? Drugs and OTC products like eye drops don’t magically lose their total efficacy the day they expire. 2 Answers - Posted in: lidoderm, pain, expiration, patch, expiration date - Answer: Hi Alan, I found this article that should be interesting to a lot. Search Harvard Health Publishing. What can we help you find? Enter search terms and tap the Search button. Both articles and products will be searched. Prescription Longevity. Many Medicines Are Potent Years Past Expiration Dates By LAURIE P. COHEN Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Shelf life is the length of time that a commodity may be stored without becoming unfit for use, consumption, or sale. In other words, it might refer to whether a commodity should no longer be on a pantry shelf (unfit for use), or just no longer on a supermarket shelf (unfit for sale, but not yet unfit for use). Aquarium & Pond medications Part 2, antibiotics and antimicrobials such as Kanamycin, Triple Sulfa, Tetracycline, Metronidazole, Nitrofurazone, Neomycin, & more. Based on research from aquarium keeping guru Carl Strohmeyer.