Best practice on medication expiry dates in care homes

Managing medication safely is a core responsibility in every care home. Residents often take multiple prescriptions, including high-risk medicines, which makes it essential that storage, record-keeping and administration are carried out correctly. 

A key part of this is ensuring all medicines are within their expiry date. Once a medicine passes its expiry, its effectiveness may be reduced and, in some cases, its safety cannot be guaranteed. The consequences for residents can be serious, and failure to maintain oversight of expiry dates can also result in regulatory concerns during inspection.  

Why tracking expiry dates matters 

Every medicine comes with an expiry date set by the manufacturer. This indicates the period during which the product is expected to remain stable and effective, provided it is stored correctly. After that date, the manufacturer no longer guarantees its quality. 

In a busy care environment, it is easy for medicines with distant expiry dates to be forgotten, especially when they are rarely used. Items such as PRN medicines, creams, or opened liquids may sit in cupboards unnoticed long past their useful life. 

Effective expiry management helps to: 

• Keep residents safe by ensuring they receive effective treatment 

• Comply with Care Quality Commission (CQC) expectations and good practice guidelines 

• Reduce medicine waste and unnecessary costs to the service 

Common issues in residential and nursing care 

Care teams often face similar challenges when it comes to managing expiry dates. These include: 

• Medicines not being reviewed regularly enough, especially if they are not in daily use 

• Items that require a shorter expiry once opened, such as eye drops or insulin pens, not being labelled clearly 

• Fridge items not being tracked as carefully as room-temperature stock 

• Manual record-keeping that is inconsistent or time-consuming to update 

All of these can increase the risk of expired medicines being stored or used without anyone realising. 

Putting good practice in place 

There are some straightforward steps care homes can take to improve how they manage medicine expiry dates. For example:

Build expiry checks into routine audits 

A regular review of all medicines, ideally once a month, helps keep stock under control. This includes checking printed expiry dates, removing anything out of date, and flagging items with short shelf life for review. Including this as part of a standard medication audit makes it easier for staff to follow. 

Use first expired, first out (FEFO) 

Medicines should be organised by expiry date, so those due to expire sooner are used first. This reduces waste and ensures the most appropriate stock is used at the right time. 

Label all opened products clearly 

Many medicines have a limited life once opened. Eye drops, creams, insulin pens and oral liquids are common examples. These should be labelled with the date they were opened and the date they should be discarded. If this information is missing, the medicine should not be used. 

Store medicines correctly 

Medicines that need refrigeration must be stored in a dedicated medicines fridge, with daily temperature checks. Medicines stored at room temperature should be kept in a cool, dry place, as recommended by the manufacturer. 

Record the removal of expired stock 

Any expired medicine should be removed from use immediately and placed in a secure, clearly marked returns container. A record should be made showing what was removed, when, and by whom. This is important for both safety and accountability. 

Typical expiry periods after opening 

While individual products vary, here are some general guidelines for common items: 

• Eye drops: discard 28 days after opening (or sooner if advised) 

• Insulin pens: 28 to 56 days, depending on the brand 

• Creams and ointments: 3 to 6 months after opening 

• Inhalers: often up to 6 months once opened 

• Oral liquids: varies by product – always check the label or ask the pharmacy 

Recording the date of opening and using clear discard dates helps ensure these products are never kept longer than they should be.