When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared a shortage of EpiPens in May due to manufacturing delays, it left a lot of parents of kids with allergies pretty freaked out. With good reason. Now that it's back-to-school season, there could be good news for parents who are looking for extra medication while they're kids are out of their hands: An expired EpiPen might still be safe to use.
The FDA has just issued EpiPen “extended use dates” for specific batches, as well as for the generic Epinephrine Auto-Injector.
That means that the "use by" date on the auto-injector might actually not be valid until four full months later (e.g., a May 2018 EpiPen could be used until September 2018). Check this chart to see if your EpiPen has an extended use date.
While your expired EpiPen may still be safe to use after its expiration date, the FDA suggests that if you are able to buy a fresh, new EpiPen, you should use that one instead and toss the old one. But either way, be sure to take a look at your old EpiPens. If yours is discolored or has solid particles floating in it, you should throw it out no matter what the "use by" date may be.
Related: The silver lining of the Mylan EpiPen price hike news, from a mom of a child with food allergies.
While your expired EpiPen may still be safe to use after its expiration date, the FDA suggests that if you are able to buy a fresh, new EpiPen, you should use that one instead and toss the old one. But either way, be sure to take a look at your old EpiPens. If yours is discolored or has solid particles floating in it, you should throw it out no matter what the "use by" date may be.
