Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Amoxicillin?How Long Does It Last?Dosing OverviewCan I Take Expired Drugs?Unsafe Drugs Post-ExpirationWhat Should I Do With Expired Drugs?Frequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Amoxicillin?
How Long Does It Last?
Dosing Overview
Can I Take Expired Drugs?
Unsafe Drugs Post-Expiration
What Should I Do With Expired Drugs?
Frequently Asked Questions
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved amoxicillin to treat specificbacterial infectionof the ears, nose, throat, the urinary tract, the skin, and the lower respiratory tract. The drug is also approved to treat gonorrhea in certain situations.
If a healthcare provider gives you a prescription for amoxicillin to treat an infection, it’s crucial to finish the prescription. However, it’s not uncommon for someone to end up with leftover medication and stash it in their medicine cabinet.
As such, consumers may be curious if leftover amoxicillin is still good down the road.
The capsule and tablet forms of amoxicillin are typically suitable for one year after you bring it home from the pharmacy. Comparatively, amoxicillin liquid suspension is suitable for 14 days after your pharmacist prepares it.
Read on for a more in-depth analysis of amoxicillin and a discussion on handling potentially expired medications.
BSIP / Getty Images
Understanding Amoxicillin
Amoxicillin is not sold over the counter (OTC), meaning it is a prescription-only medication. It is available only in generic form.
Amoxicillin is FDA-approved for use in adults and children to treat certain bacterial infections affecting the ears, nose, and throat (such asstrep throat),urinary tract, skin, and the lower respiratory tract.
It is also indicated for managing the sexually transmitted infection (STI)gonorrheain certain situations.
How It Works
Amoxicillin is a semisynthetic antibiotic derived frompenicillin.
Amoxicillin belongs to the drug category ofbeta-lactam antibiotics,which also includes other penicillin derivatives andcephalosporins, such ascephalexin.
Amoxicillin for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)
Amoxicillin is prescribed as part of a dual or triple therapy regimen to eradicateH.pylori, a gut infection associated withdigestive ulcers.
H.pylorican infect the stomach lining and cause gastrointestinal (GI) ulcers.
Along with either clarithromycin, lansoprazole, or both, amoxicillin is prescribed as part of a double or triple therapy regimen to treatH.pyloriinfection.
Off-Label Uses
Amoxicillin is commonly prescribed for several off-label uses.
Off-label uses of amoxicillin include:
How Long Is Amoxicillin Good For?
It’s crucial to store amoxicillin properly to maintain its effectiveness. However, know that storage requirements vary with the form you’re taking.
Amoxicillin comes in oral forms, including a capsule, tablet, and chewable tablet. Store these forms at room temperature (68-77 F).
You can discard unused medication after the expiration date, which you can find on the prescription label.
Talk to a healthcare provider if you need more amoxicillin after it expires. They can help determine if the medication needs to be continued, and if so, they will renew your prescription.
Storing Suspension-Based Amoxicillin
Amoxicillin is also available as a suspension. The suspension form comes as a powder in a bottle.
When you pick up your prescription from a pharmacy, the pharmacist will add water to the bottle and shake it to form a suspension. It’s usually pink.
Once the drug is mixed (reconstituted), the amoxicillin suspension stays safe for up to 14 days.
Your pharmacist will label the bottle with instructions, an expiration date, and the pharmacy’s phone number if you need to call them with any questions or refill requests.
You can store reconstituted amoxicillin suspension at room temperature or in the refrigerator, although refrigeration is preferred.
Keep it at a consistent temperature rather than moving it from the refrigerator to the counter for a while and back again.
After 14 days, dispose of any unused medication. If you or your child needs to take amoxicillin liquid suspension for more than 14 days, you’ll likely need to return to the pharmacy for a refill.
The FDA has approved amoxicillin to treat certain bacterial infections in adults and children of all ages.
Dosing for infants and children older than 3 months and weighing less than 88 pounds is based on body weight, not age. Your healthcare provider and pharmacist will inform you of the correct dosage.
Adult dosages are based on such factors as:
To eliminate the infection, it’s crucial to continue taking the medication for the prescribed length.
Even if you feel better, stopping antibiotics early can leave some bacteria behind, which can continue to grow and potentially cause the infection to spread or worsen.
Further, incomplete antibiotic courses contribute toantibiotic resistance. When bacteria are exposed to antibiotics but not eliminated, the surviving bacteria can develop resistance to the drug.
This means that the same antibiotic that was previously effective may no longer work against new, resistant strains of bacteria.
As a result, more difficult-to-treat infections can occur and even become life-threatening.
A medication’s expiration date is a way to notify consumers when the drug can become ineffective or unsafe. It represents the manufacturer’s guarantee that the medication will maintain its potency and safety if stored correctly.
The FDA requires all medication containers, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs, to list an expiration date and methods for proper storage.
In some instances, the expiration date changes. For example, mostinsulin vialshave a listed expiration date that is validbeforethe first use.
However, the medication expires 28 days after the first time the insulin vial has been used, regardless of the original expiration date. This is because the purity of the insulin is only verifiable for 28 days after the cap is removed from the vial.
Additionally, some state laws require pharmacies to label an expiration date of one year from the date they dispense a medication.
Generally, the FDA recommends strongly against using any medication past the expiration date. After theexpiration date, a medication may lose effectiveness or become unsafe, resulting in poor treatment or potentially dangerous side effects.
However, some studies and assessments suggest certain medications pose a greater risk than others after expiration.
While using expired medications is not recommended, individuals should exercise more caution in avoiding certain medications.
Some drugs are known to be unsafe or risky after expiration. This is because certain medications begin to break down (decompose), resulting in incomplete and ineffective treatment.
A few examples are:
While expired medications are never ideal, specific life-or-death scenarios require their use, even if effectiveness or safety could be reduced.EpiPen (epinephrine injection)is a medication used to reverse severe allergic reactions.
As with all medications, EpiPens have an expiration date, after which they may be less effective.
However, given the lifesaving nature of this drug, experts still recommendadministering an expired EpiPen rather than no medicationat all during a severe allergic reaction; the only exception would be if the medication appears extremely cloudy or discolored.
Many pharmacies and medical facilities now have drop-off bins for patients todispose of expired or unwanted medications.
The FDA also recommends drug take-back programs, which occur on select days throughout the year at local pharmacies, community centers, and first-responder stations.
However, if a drug take-back day is not available or convenient for you, the FDA also guides the disposal of expired medications in the regular trash.
Summary
When a healthcare provider prescribes amoxicillin to treat an infection, completing the entire treatment is crucial to treat the infection and help prevent antibiotic resistance effectively.
If you have leftover antibiotics, the medication should retain its potency until the labeled expiration date, as long as you store it properly.
Amoxicillin capsules and tablets usually remain effective for up to a year from the pharmacy dispensing date.
Always check the medication label for expiration and consult a healthcare professional before using expired antibiotics or other medications.
The FDA website and your local pharmacy can offer guidance on disposing expired or unwanted medications.
Frequently Asked QuestionsMedications are expected to be safe and effective until expiration as long as the medication has been stored according to the manufacturer’s directions.All drugs have a shelf life based on research studies of the drug’s chemical properties.After the expiration date, the drug manufacturer can no longer guarantee the medication’s full effectiveness and safety.Stability testing assesses how environmental factors affect a drug. Stability testing establishes a drug’s shelf life, indicating how long it remains safe and effective based on the active ingredient.Solid forms of amoxicillin typically have a shelf life of one to two years.The amoxicillin liquid suspension is 14 days after it’s prescribed.
Medications are expected to be safe and effective until expiration as long as the medication has been stored according to the manufacturer’s directions.All drugs have a shelf life based on research studies of the drug’s chemical properties.After the expiration date, the drug manufacturer can no longer guarantee the medication’s full effectiveness and safety.
Medications are expected to be safe and effective until expiration as long as the medication has been stored according to the manufacturer’s directions.
All drugs have a shelf life based on research studies of the drug’s chemical properties.
After the expiration date, the drug manufacturer can no longer guarantee the medication’s full effectiveness and safety.
Stability testing assesses how environmental factors affect a drug. Stability testing establishes a drug’s shelf life, indicating how long it remains safe and effective based on the active ingredient.Solid forms of amoxicillin typically have a shelf life of one to two years.The amoxicillin liquid suspension is 14 days after it’s prescribed.
Stability testing assesses how environmental factors affect a drug. Stability testing establishes a drug’s shelf life, indicating how long it remains safe and effective based on the active ingredient.
Solid forms of amoxicillin typically have a shelf life of one to two years.
The amoxicillin liquid suspension is 14 days after it’s prescribed.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Amoxicillin.Food and Drug Administration.Amoxicillin capsule label.DailyMed.Label: Amoxil- amoxicillin powder, for suspension.DailyMed.Label: amoxicillin- amoxicillin capsule.Holten KB, Onusko EM.Appropriate prescribing of oral beta-lactam antibiotics.Am Fam Physician. 2000;62(3):611-620.DailyMed.Label: cephalexin capsule.Bush K, Bradford PA.β-lactams and β-lactamase inhibitors: an overview.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2016;6(8):a025247. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a025247Goderska K, Agudo Pena S, Alarcon T.Helicobacterpyloritreatment: antibiotics or probiotics.Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2018;102(1):1-7. doi:10.1007/s00253-017-8535-7National Cancer Institute.Helicobacterpylori(H.pylori) and cancer.Kim SY, Jung SW, Kim JH, Koo JS, Yim HJ, Park JJ, Chun HJ, Lee SW, Choi JH.Effectiveness of three times daily lansoprazole/amoxicillin dual therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection in Korea.Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2012;73(1):140-3. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2011.04048.xAhmadi H, Ebrahimi A, Ahmadi F.Antibiotic therapy in dentistry.Int J Dent. 2021;2021:6667624. doi:10.1155/2021/6667624Wormser GP, Brady KC, Cho MS, Scavarda CA, McKenna D.Efficacy of a 14-day course of amoxicillin for patients with erythema migrans.Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2019;94(2):192-194. doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2019.01.003Doganay M, Dinc G, Kutmanova A, Baillie L.Human anthrax: update of the diagnosis and treatment.Diagnostics (Basel). 2023;13(6):1056. doi:10.3390/diagnostics13061056Prescribers' Digital Reference.Amoxil.Prestinaci F, Pezzotti P, Pantosti A.Antimicrobial resistance: a global multifaceted phenomenon.Pathog Glob Health. 2015;109(7):309-18. doi:10.1179/2047773215Y.0000000030Food and Drug Administration.Expiration dates - questions and answers.DailyMed.Label: Humalog- insulin lispro injection, solution Humalog KwikPen- insulin lispro injection, solution Humalog Junior KwikPen- insulin lispro injection, solution Humalog Tempo Pen- insulin lispro injection, solution.Food and Drug Administration.Don’t be tempted to use expired medications.Nawarskas JJ, Koury J, Lauber DA, et al.Open-label study of the stability of sublingual nitroglycerin tablets in simulated real-life conditions.Am J Cardiol.2018;122(12): 2151-2156. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2018.08.048Posner LS, Camargo CA Jr.Update on the usage and safety of epinephrine auto-injectors, 2017.Drug Healthc Patient Saf. 2017;9:9-18. doi:10.2147/DHPS.S121733
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Amoxicillin.Food and Drug Administration.Amoxicillin capsule label.DailyMed.Label: Amoxil- amoxicillin powder, for suspension.DailyMed.Label: amoxicillin- amoxicillin capsule.Holten KB, Onusko EM.Appropriate prescribing of oral beta-lactam antibiotics.Am Fam Physician. 2000;62(3):611-620.DailyMed.Label: cephalexin capsule.Bush K, Bradford PA.β-lactams and β-lactamase inhibitors: an overview.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2016;6(8):a025247. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a025247Goderska K, Agudo Pena S, Alarcon T.Helicobacterpyloritreatment: antibiotics or probiotics.Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2018;102(1):1-7. doi:10.1007/s00253-017-8535-7National Cancer Institute.Helicobacterpylori(H.pylori) and cancer.Kim SY, Jung SW, Kim JH, Koo JS, Yim HJ, Park JJ, Chun HJ, Lee SW, Choi JH.Effectiveness of three times daily lansoprazole/amoxicillin dual therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection in Korea.Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2012;73(1):140-3. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2011.04048.xAhmadi H, Ebrahimi A, Ahmadi F.Antibiotic therapy in dentistry.Int J Dent. 2021;2021:6667624. doi:10.1155/2021/6667624Wormser GP, Brady KC, Cho MS, Scavarda CA, McKenna D.Efficacy of a 14-day course of amoxicillin for patients with erythema migrans.Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2019;94(2):192-194. doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2019.01.003Doganay M, Dinc G, Kutmanova A, Baillie L.Human anthrax: update of the diagnosis and treatment.Diagnostics (Basel). 2023;13(6):1056. doi:10.3390/diagnostics13061056Prescribers' Digital Reference.Amoxil.Prestinaci F, Pezzotti P, Pantosti A.Antimicrobial resistance: a global multifaceted phenomenon.Pathog Glob Health. 2015;109(7):309-18. doi:10.1179/2047773215Y.0000000030Food and Drug Administration.Expiration dates - questions and answers.DailyMed.Label: Humalog- insulin lispro injection, solution Humalog KwikPen- insulin lispro injection, solution Humalog Junior KwikPen- insulin lispro injection, solution Humalog Tempo Pen- insulin lispro injection, solution.Food and Drug Administration.Don’t be tempted to use expired medications.Nawarskas JJ, Koury J, Lauber DA, et al.Open-label study of the stability of sublingual nitroglycerin tablets in simulated real-life conditions.Am J Cardiol.2018;122(12): 2151-2156. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2018.08.048Posner LS, Camargo CA Jr.Update on the usage and safety of epinephrine auto-injectors, 2017.Drug Healthc Patient Saf. 2017;9:9-18. doi:10.2147/DHPS.S121733
MedlinePlus.Amoxicillin.
Food and Drug Administration.Amoxicillin capsule label.
DailyMed.Label: Amoxil- amoxicillin powder, for suspension.
DailyMed.Label: amoxicillin- amoxicillin capsule.
Holten KB, Onusko EM.Appropriate prescribing of oral beta-lactam antibiotics.Am Fam Physician. 2000;62(3):611-620.
DailyMed.Label: cephalexin capsule.
Bush K, Bradford PA.β-lactams and β-lactamase inhibitors: an overview.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2016;6(8):a025247. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a025247
Goderska K, Agudo Pena S, Alarcon T.Helicobacterpyloritreatment: antibiotics or probiotics.Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2018;102(1):1-7. doi:10.1007/s00253-017-8535-7
National Cancer Institute.Helicobacterpylori(H.pylori) and cancer.
Kim SY, Jung SW, Kim JH, Koo JS, Yim HJ, Park JJ, Chun HJ, Lee SW, Choi JH.Effectiveness of three times daily lansoprazole/amoxicillin dual therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection in Korea.Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2012;73(1):140-3. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2011.04048.x
Ahmadi H, Ebrahimi A, Ahmadi F.Antibiotic therapy in dentistry.Int J Dent. 2021;2021:6667624. doi:10.1155/2021/6667624
Wormser GP, Brady KC, Cho MS, Scavarda CA, McKenna D.Efficacy of a 14-day course of amoxicillin for patients with erythema migrans.Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2019;94(2):192-194. doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2019.01.003
Doganay M, Dinc G, Kutmanova A, Baillie L.Human anthrax: update of the diagnosis and treatment.Diagnostics (Basel). 2023;13(6):1056. doi:10.3390/diagnostics13061056
Prescribers' Digital Reference.Amoxil.
Prestinaci F, Pezzotti P, Pantosti A.Antimicrobial resistance: a global multifaceted phenomenon.Pathog Glob Health. 2015;109(7):309-18. doi:10.1179/2047773215Y.0000000030
Food and Drug Administration.Expiration dates - questions and answers.
DailyMed.Label: Humalog- insulin lispro injection, solution Humalog KwikPen- insulin lispro injection, solution Humalog Junior KwikPen- insulin lispro injection, solution Humalog Tempo Pen- insulin lispro injection, solution.
Food and Drug Administration.Don’t be tempted to use expired medications.
Nawarskas JJ, Koury J, Lauber DA, et al.Open-label study of the stability of sublingual nitroglycerin tablets in simulated real-life conditions.Am J Cardiol.2018;122(12): 2151-2156. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2018.08.048
Posner LS, Camargo CA Jr.Update on the usage and safety of epinephrine auto-injectors, 2017.Drug Healthc Patient Saf. 2017;9:9-18. doi:10.2147/DHPS.S121733
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