Outdated prescriptions are illegal?

[snopes]

Comment: Supposedly, if you carry an out-dated prescription with you, it's
considered an illegal drug (even with your name on the label). I think
that's preposterous, but a co-worker insists she was told this by a
pharmacist.

[Floater]

Not knowing anything about the legality involved I can only sat that, even if not illegal, outdated medicine and and medicine taken when you are already cured might harm you. That's the rub.

[guruwan2b]

I may be an attempt to keep druggies from using a outdated prescription bottle to carry illegally gotten drugs in.
"Yeah, those are my xanex. Here's my prescription from 2001."

I can see my sister trying that.....

Let me ask the guy down the hall. He's a PharmD and his wife is too and works at Wal-greens.

Shoot he's in a meeting I'll ask him later.

Asked the PharmD. He said that after 1 year since issue the paper slip from the doctor can't be filled. But the date on the bottle is more like the use by date. After that date they can't grauntee that the drug is still as potent. And as far as he knows once you fill the prescription it's yours and not illegal no matter how much time has passed since you filled the order.

[Latiam]

Originally Posted by Duckie Queen

Asked the PharmD. He said that after 1 year since issue the paper slip from the doctor can't be filled. But the date on the bottle is more like the use by date. After that date they can't grauntee that the drug is still as potent. And as far as he knows once you fill the prescription it's yours and not illegal no matter how much time has passed since you filled the order.

I have often had trouble with my pharmacy completing refills after one year has passed. They give me a really hard time. Mind you, I usually win. One is prescribed for the cold sores I get in my nose occasionally, and when they balked, I fixed the pharmacy assistant with a dead-on stare and said, "So you're going to penalize me for staying healthy?" She filled it. Also a problem: bottles of lotion I get for psoriasis. For anything else more than a year, I get a new prescription, which they then ADD to the numbers of refills I had "available" and we go from there.

[nonnieyrissa]

Im not sure if this is State Wide but one of my tenants in Rancho Cordova California was sent to prison for having a full prescription bottle of 120 10 mg. Vicodins because the script was expired. I remember this very clearly as it was a big pain in the butt to serve him for eviction and ended up flying back to handle it myself.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: Supposedly, if you carry an out-dated prescription with you, it's
considered an illegal drug (even with your name on the label). I think
that's preposterous, but a co-worker insists she was told this by a
pharmacist.

The OP appears to apply to drugs from a filled prescription rather than the form itself. Athough most people would not carry time-expired drugs with them, I am sure most of us have out-dated drugs somewhere in the house.

In the UK most pharmacist labels show the issue date, exiry dates are printed by the manufacturer on the packaging.

[ButterscotchCat]

I may be an attempt to keep druggies from using a outdated prescription bottle to carry illegally gotten drugs in.
"Yeah, those are my xanex. Here's my prescription from 2001."

So apparently, I should keep my emergency supply of legal Xanex in my current prescription bottle. Not in the old one like is currently do. I also keep Zovairax & my blood pressure med in the same bottle.

[notjustnebodee]

Originally Posted by Latiam

I have often had trouble with my pharmacy completing refills after one year has passed. They give me a really hard time. Mind you, I usually win. One is prescribed for the cold sores I get in my nose occasionally, and when they balked, I fixed the pharmacy assistant with a dead-on stare and said, "So you're going to penalize me for staying healthy?" She filled it. Also a problem: bottles of lotion I get for psoriasis. For anything else more than a year, I get a new prescription, which they then ADD to the numbers of refills I had "available" and we go from there.

And they're calling you a NFBSK behind your back and groaning when you come in. Come to my pharmacy and do that, we'd stare right back and invite you to go somewhere else. Alot of people take it out on the pharmacy. If the rx is over 1 year, we cant fill it, period.

We're not penalizing you staying healthy. If you're so adamant about staying healthy, go to the dr and get a new prescription. If really ticks me off when people substitute pharmacy for dr care. We dont mind faxing your dr if you need one before you get to see them, but we get faxes back all the time saying the patient needs to make an appt before the dr will refill it. Its not our fault. Instead of calling us and complaining, call your dr. Seriously folks, your pharmacy staff could use a little appreciation. We deal with alot. Dont shoot the messenger.

[Latiam]

Originally Posted by notjustnebodee

And they're calling you a NFBSK behind your back and groaning when you come in. Come to my pharmacy and do that, we'd stare right back and invite you to go somewhere else. Alot of people take it out on the pharmacy. If the rx is over 1 year, we cant fill it, period.

We're not penalizing you staying healthy. If you're so adamant about staying healthy, go to the dr and get a new prescription. If really ticks me off when people substitute pharmacy for dr care. We dont mind faxing your dr if you need one before you get to see them, but we get faxes back all the time saying the patient needs to make an appt before the dr will refill it. Its not our fault. Instead of calling us and complaining, call your dr. Seriously folks, your pharmacy staff could use a little appreciation. We deal with alot. Dont shoot the messenger.

I had a long winded reply to this, but my computer rebooted - it's a problem. So I'll just lay out a few things since I hate retyping things. If I sound irritated, it's at the computer.

1. My doctor does not do faxes or phone-ins.
2. Due to the dearth of doctors in Ontario, you do not get an appointment with her within a month unless you're coughing up blood or have bronchitis.
3. I may have misstated. I thought back and I have argued with them twice over three years. That's not often. For anything other then these two products I take my lumps, including my inhaler - which now has 18 refills on it as a result.
4. I do not substitute my pharmacy for Dr. care. I make my refill appointments two months in advance and log in prescriptions so we never have a problem, because I have a lot of prescriptions. In return, about once every eight months or so, my pharmacy will tell me I don't have any refills of X, and don't have a prescription logged. I'll call the doctor, they'll tell me I do, and eventually the doctor will ask/ the pharmacy will be persuaded to check the paper prescription and voilà! I do. I don't bitch about this, I just get my refills a week early now.
5. After consideration, I don't think they call me a NFBSK or groan when I come in. I call in refills using the automated system, pick up things promptly, and any time they've asked me to do something (come in now because they're closing early, pick up a prescription I chose to have delivered because their delivery guy's car broke down) I do it. I also pay $4.99 above my insurance for each prescription, and if they invited me to go somewhere else I would save substantial money each year, but I prefer them.