Disease Management
Expiration date
In many houses, there are medications left unused for a long time. The course of medication is usually left incomplete out of force of habit, invariably leading to unused medications in houses. These drugs remain in refrigerators or on house shelves for such a long time that they expire.
Where is the expiration date of medications written?
If you hold the aluminum sheet of the tablet in your hand, there are some numbers written on its bottom edge. These numbers indicate the expiration date of medications in different ways. The letters EXP stand for Expiration, or the expiration date, representing a date in the Gregorian or Solar Hijri calendar accompanied by a month and year. In medicinal creams and ointments coming in tube forms, the expiration date is written on their bottom, where the tube comes to an end. The expiration date is also usually inserted on medication boxes. The expiration date of syrups, drops and other fluid medications is written on the label of the glass and on the box in embossed fashion. You can also search for the expiration date of ampoules on their label. The expiration date may also be written on the head of the ampoule or syrup.
What are the proper storage conditions?
The expiration date of any medication can only be trusted when it has been kept under standard conditions. The standard conditions for preserving any drug are written on them. Favorable conditions for most medications are cool and dry places without freezing. Therefore, the worst place to keep drugs is the bathroom. However, many families have reserved a place in the bathroom to store medications. If medications remain under sunshine, are exposed to moisture, freezing or high temperatures, it is better to dispose of them, even if they have are not expired yet.
The important thing to remember is that some drugs, after expiration date, produce toxic substances that are very dangerous to use. For example, if medications belonging to the tetracycline family expire, they become one of the toxic chemical byproducts, the use of which causes the Fanconi syndrome.
What is a biosimilar medication?
It is advisable to dispose of these medications by putting them in plastic bags. Empty the syrups and drops in the sewage and then dispose of their containers. When disposing syringes, first remove their needles and dispose of them separately. Our place of residence is full of people who accumulate waste products and medicinal wastes may harm them.
Disposing of medicines should be done with caution. Some expired medications may be hazardous to the environment. If the medication is of the type that becomes toxic after expiration, it is better to deliver it to a treatment center. The Red Cross (Red Crescent) also receives these medications to destroy later without harming the environment.
What is a biosimilar medication?
Biosimilar medications are approved biologic medical products that can be considered equivalent to an original product in terms of quality, safety and efficacy. By the expiration of the patent on brand biologic medical products, these drugs are approved under precise legal supervision and enter the market. Biosimilar medications are not generic forms of biologic drugs. In fact, generic drugs are a completely bioequivalent version of brand medications in terms of their effective pharmaceutical substance, pharmaceutical form, safety, potency, administration method, quality, functional properties and usage. However, the generic definition of biologic drugs is not as precise and clear as that of common chemical drugs.
Biosimilar drugs are very similar to their original products, but they can be virtually distinguished on account of the following reasons:
1-These drugs are made of living beings, and it is very difficult to analyze the complex structure of their protein molecules.
2-The complexity of their production process increases the likelihood of varying pharmaceutical substances, even within the various production categories of a single manufacturer. Generally speaking, biosimilar pharmaceutical products should not have a clinically significant difference with the original licensed product in terms of safety, purity and potency.
The basis for the approval of biosimilar medications is to demonstrate their comparability or great correspondence with the original biologic product of each. In other words, the biologic medication should be similar to the original one to the extent that that is not different in terms of the ability to treat the disease, the safety profile and overall quality which are three essential principles for patients and physicians.
The existence of biosimilar pharmaceutical products will increase competition, improve patients' access to biologic medications and contribute to the financial stability of the health and treatment system. Therefore, in addition to their economizing advantage for the health and treatment system, the introduction of these drugs to the market will also help improve the access of patients to new therapeutic options..