Photo: Andriy R (Shutterstock)
Stocking up on emergency contraception can be a good way of making sure you have some available when you need it—or that you can provide it to a friend if they’re in need. (Plan B is available over the- ounter in the U.S., so this is just as legal as doing the same thing with Tylenol.) But there’s something you should pay attention to: the expiration date.
Do drugs expire?
Drugs don’t last forever, although they tend to be good for a year or more past the date they were manufactured. According to the Food and Drug Administration:
Drug expiration dates reflect the time period during which the product is known to remain stable, which means it retains its strength, quality, and purity when it is stored according to its labeled storage conditions.
For many drugs, an expired pill is usually, probably still good—you just can’t be sure. If you’re digging an old allergy medicine or painkiller out of your medicine cabinet, that’s probably not a big deal (although the FDA would prefer you dispose of that old drug properly and go buy a fresh batch).
When it comes to emergency contraception, though, effectiveness matters.
When does Plan B expire?
You have the best chances of preventing a pregnancy if you take levonorgestrel (Plan B) as soon as possible after unprotected sex, and should aim to take it in the first 72 hours if at all possible. This medication prevents ovulation (and yes, it’s ovulation that occurs after sex that is most likely to make a baby). It’s 95% effective if you take it within the first 24 hours, and the effectiveness drops each day you wait. By 72 hours, it’s 61% effective, according to the manufacturer.
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Because you want to get an effective medication in your body as soon as possible, you don’t want to play around with something that’s past its expiration date and might not be as effective. The expiration date will be printed on the side of the package, but it’s reportedly about four years. Check when you get it, and set a calendar reminder to replace your supply when it’s time.
Pay attention to how you store it
Medications meant to be stored at room temperature will last the longest when they’re kept around 70 degrees in a dark, dry place. Heat and light can cause the chemicals in the pill to break down sooner than they otherwise would, so don’t toss the package on a sunny windowsill or anything. Always check the label that came with your medications for proper storage instructions; that goes for Plan B and for everything else.
