What is the shelf life or expiration date?

Expiration date and shelf life are not the same.

Expiration date is the date shown on the vial. By pharmacy regulation, most items in our Med Kits show a 1 year expiration date, the maximum allowed for prescription vials. Some items like creams and inhalers have an expiration date up to 2 years.

Shelf life is how long a medication retains its potency and can be used safely. Studies show that the shelf life of some of the medications in our kits can be 10 years or more.

However, despite studies supporting an extended shelf life for many of the medications, we strongly recommend against using any medication after its stated expiration date.

The problem is that you cannot tell whether a particular batch of medication has degraded over time. Taking an expired medication might work in some circumstances, but could also cause harm. It's not worth taking chances.

Therefore, our easy annual renewal process ensures the medications in your kit are always current. Use your account dashboard at any time to replace medications you've used and to update your entire kit once each year.

🎥 Watch a video about our Med Kit expiration date and shelf life.