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messy medicine cabinet - Square Cow Moovers

What do you keep in your medicine cabinet?  Band-aids, a thermometer, Neosporin, old prescriptions, tylenol, sun screen, cough syrup, bug spray, cotton balls, a hot water bottle?  Whatever your collection of medicines and related accoutrements includes, moving means its time to clean out the medicine cabinet.

The Debate Over Expired Medicine

Some sources state that medicines don’t go bad at the expiration date, but rather they lose potency.  Others encourage being overly cautious when it comes to medications and expiration dates.  As the chemicals break down in some expired drugs like tetracycline, the medicine can actually become toxic.  Generally, less complex drugs tend to simply lose potency over time, while expired drugs that are more complex could be riskier.  If you really want a medication to work and be effective. your best bet and safest choice is to go ahead and throw out expired medicines and get new ones.  Taking expired medications can be tempting especially if a doctor’s visit and a prescription are required to obtain new medicine.  However, if you aren’t feeling well these extra steps will be worth it, so you can feel better and get well quicker.  If you have sunscreen left over from last summer, go ahead and chuck that too!  New sunscreen will ensure that you and your family members don’t get burned.