And very few medications will show a shelf life longer than 2 years because they simply aren’t tested for that length of time. Many medications that come in dried form (i.e., pills) are likely good for a decade or more, but safety and efficacy certainly are not guaranteed beyond what the manufacturer says.
Beyond that date, they may become less effective over time, but it’s rare that anything will become harmful. They’ll be fine for a long time (if kept in cool, dry, and dark conditions).
I don’t have it on hand, but I remember a study from several years ago that tested a variety of pill and tablet medications for actual shelf life. The big takeaway was that the vast majority of medications degrade extremely slowly unless exposed to moisture, sunlight, or excessive heat, and only a few actually become harmful.
TLDR: it’s safe to take an aspirin from the 1940s, but you might need to take two.
What is the shelf life for these?
According to both websites I bought from, the shelf life is 2 years.
And very few medications will show a shelf life longer than 2 years because they simply aren’t tested for that length of time. Many medications that come in dried form (i.e., pills) are likely good for a decade or more, but safety and efficacy certainly are not guaranteed beyond what the manufacturer says.
Beyond that date, they may become less effective over time, but it’s rare that anything will become harmful. They’ll be fine for a long time (if kept in cool, dry, and dark conditions).
Wow that actually seems really good.
I don’t have it on hand, but I remember a study from several years ago that tested a variety of pill and tablet medications for actual shelf life. The big takeaway was that the vast majority of medications degrade extremely slowly unless exposed to moisture, sunlight, or excessive heat, and only a few actually become harmful.
TLDR: it’s safe to take an aspirin from the 1940s, but you might need to take two.