Health
A pharmacist, Mrs Nkem Ogbidi-Emmanuel, has warned consumers against buying or using expired medicines, saying failure to verify expiry dates before purchase could expose them to avoidable health risks.
Ogbidi-Emmanuel gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Benin, while urging consumers to make expiry-date checks a routine practice.
She said many consumers paid more attention to the price and availability of medicines than to their expiry dates, a habit she described as potentially dangerous to health.
“Checking the expiry date should be part of every medicine purchase. Sometimes the date may be faint or may have rubbed off. Do not guess; ask the pharmacist to verify it.”
According to her, medicines intended for prolonged treatment or delayed use should have sufficient shelf life, while consumers should carefully inspect cartons, sachets and blister packs before purchase.
“Pharmacies keep records of medicines supplied, including batch details and expiry dates, which can be checked when necessary,” she said, encouraging consumers to seek professional clarification whenever in doubt.
The pharmacist also cautioned against using medicines that appeared different from their normal condition, even when still within their stated expiry dates, noting that storage conditions could affect quality.
“A medicine may still be within date, but poor storage conditions such as excessive heat, moisture or direct sunlight can affect its quality or potency.
“If you notice a change in the colour, smell or texture, return it to the pharmacist for assessment instead of taking it,” she advised, stressing the importance of consumer vigilance.
She said pharmacies routinely inspected their shelves to identify medicines nearing expiry or already expired, adding that such products were removed and handled through approved disposal procedures.
Ogbidi-Emmanuel explained that medicines with the earliest expiry dates were dispensed first to reduce wastage and ensure products remained within their recommended period of use.
She also advised consumers against buying medicines for long-term storage at home, noting that poor storage conditions could reduce their quality even before the labelled expiry date.
The pharmacist further urged members of the public not to dispose of expired or damaged medicines with household waste, but to return them to pharmacies for proper disposal where possible.
She said pharmacies and regulatory agencies continued to ensure medicines available to the public met required safety and quality standards, while urging consumers to patronise only licensed outlets.
Ogbidi-Emmanuel advised consumers to seek guidance from pharmacists whenever they had concerns about a medicine’s condition, stressing that simple check before purchase could prevent avoidable health complications.(NAN)
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Tags: Expired medicine Pose Health risks