Medications: the shelf life of 73 treatments could be extended

The French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM) is studying the extension of the shelf life of 73 medications. Fourteen pharmaceutical companies are participating in this project, which aims to limit waste, shortages, and the environmental consequences linked to the production and disposal of treatments.

The list includes commonly used medications containing paracetamol, levothyroxine, melatonin, or lithium. Of the products studied, 47 could have a shelf life of four years or more if the stability data provided by the manufacturers are validated.

A majority of medications are stored for two to three years.

In France, most medications currently have a shelf life of between two and three years. Less than 10% can be stored for five years. Extending this shelf life would reduce the number of boxes destroyed and improve the availability of certain treatments.

In 2024, nearly 9,960 tons of unused medications were still stored in French households. Cyclamed collected 7,795 tons of these, representing a collection rate of 77%. Pending any official changes to the authorizations and expiration dates printed on packaging, patients should continue to adhere to current expiration dates and return their unused medications to a pharmacy.