Keeping up-to-date on your medications

(ABC 6 NEWS) – We’re currently in the cold and flu season and checking your over the counter medications and prescriptions is important to make sure they’re working as they should.

If you look at the expiration date on the label, and if it’s close to that date, your medication could lose its impact.

You can start by checking your cabinet. If you’re sick and have the flu and take some ibuprofen that’s almost expired, stock up on more recent medications and take those.

The Food and Drug Administration says certain expired medications are at risk of bacterial growth and sub-potent antibiotics can fail to treat infections.

Which in turn can turn into something that nobody wants, a more serious illness and antibiotic resistance.

Once the expiration date has passed, there is no guarantee that it will be safe.

But if you’re taking a blood thinner that’s near expired, that’s where you need to pay attention.

You want to get the accurate dose and take them at a specific time to maximize effectiveness.

The danger here could be the probability of a blood clot.

“We say finish your course until its gone. If for some reason your doctor tells you to stop, get rid of it so accidents don’t happen,” Sharon LeClair, a MercyOne Pharmacist said.

So if you do have expired medications, MercyOne Pharmacies have takeback boxes where you can drop them off.

You can also drop off expired medications to authorities like the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office and the Mower County Sheriff’s Office.