Can you stretch an insulin's expiration date?

Expiration dates are not "self-destruct" dates, Brian. While I don't
want to offer medical advice, in general, all medically oriented
"expiration" dates are required by law, AND are quite conservative. IF
it were me, I'd have no qualms about using them whatsoever, but it's
your call... 🙂

dave

Brian Gordon said:

I use Humulin N nightly. I found some pens that had gotten out of sequence, and they expire on
12/1. Would it be safe/effective to use them for 2-3 weeks after that date? They're not that
expensive, but I hate to see them wasted if they are still good ...

[email hidden] (Brian Gordon) wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I use Humulin N nightly. I found some pens that had gotten out of sequence, and they expire on
12/1. Would it be safe/effective to use them for 2-3 weeks after that date? They're not that
expensive, but I hate to see them wasted if they are still good ...

The expiration date is the expected date that, on average, given a certain level of temperature
control, that the potency of the insulin will be reduced by some level. 10%, if I remember
correctly. It is not a magic date on which the insulin becomes "bad". It is a very conservative
estimate of the date of loss of full potency.

Pharmaceutical companies interested in product liability defences and profits, and medical
professionals, interested in minimizing malpractice problems, will tell you to toss it.
Assuming any kind of reasonable storage, the likelihood of you being able to notice a clinical
difference is small.

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Charly Coughran [email hidden]

Can you stretch an insulin's expiration date?

Group: misc.health.diabetes Date: Mon, Nov 24, 2003, 1:08pm (EST-3) From: [email hidden]
(Brian=A0Gordon) I use Humulin N nightly. I found some pens that had gotten out of sequence, and
they expire on 12/1. Would it be safe/effective to use them for 2-3 weeks after that date? They're
not that expensive, but I hate to see them wasted if they are still good ...

only is stored on the window sill next to the green tomatoes in direct sunlight

case

the case, minus a few cans!