How to Know if Albuterol Has Expired
Albuterol is one of the most common drugs prescribed for the treatment of asthma. It is usually given in the form of an inhaled medication but also comes in syrup and tablets. The Food and Drug Administration began requiring drug companies to put expiration dates on prescription medication in 1979. This insures that the drug is tested to be safe and effective at least to the date that the drug company deems the medication has expired. It is important to know when your Albuterol has expired.
Instructions
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Look at the top of your Albuterol inhaler canister. There will be six letters and numbers. Under those letters and numbers is the expiration date. The expiration date is in a number form, two digits for the month then four digits for the year. As an example, "04 2010," which means it will expire in April 2010.
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Look at the bottom of your Albuterol Inhalation Solution vial. One side will have a lot number and the other side will have the expiration date. The expiration date will be in the form of two digits for the month and two digits for the year. As an example "01 10," which means it expires in January 2010.
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3
Look on the bottle of your Albuterol pills or syrup. Generally, on the lower right corner will be the words "Expires On" or possibly "Discard After," depending on the pharmacy. You will see two digits for the month and two digits for the year in the form of "01/10," or two digits for the month and four digits for the year, as in "01 2010." Both of these mean the expiration date is January 2010.
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Tips & Warnings
If you kept the box that your inhaler came in, the expiration date will also be on it, in the lower right hand corner.
The vial comes in a foil packet with the expiration date stamped on. At the bottom of the foil packet, there are two letters and two numbers, followed by the month and year the vial expires, as in "JAN10." Also, the foil packets come in a box that has the expiration printed in the lower right corner.
Never leave your medications where they are exposed to heat, like a bathroom medicine cabinet, or a car. This will compromise their effectiveness.
If you feel at any time that your Albuterol is not working for you, contact your health provider immediately.
