Very well explained
@Wilson Wilson mate.
For all the constant debate we have about the NHS and it’s budget being squeezed etc. The things that get wasted e.g as you point out “use by date” meds which clearly aren’t food etc, among other needless waste is baffling.
It's mad. It's all to line the profits of the pharma companies too.
Let's say I wanna bring a new drug to market. I have to test the shelf life for at least 3 years, that's the standard shelf life for a medicine. So during all the clinical trials etc I have to show data proving it stays stable for three years.
Same goes for equivalency tests when generics are later made, I would assume.
Now if I wanted to, I could actually run tests to show my new drug is stable for say six years. But if I did that I have to spend extra money in order to lower my revenue. This makes no sense from a business perspective so no one actually does it.
So the companies making all these drugs could, if they wanted, run tests to prove they're stable for longer than the currently given shelf-life, but they simply lack an incentive to do so.
It's all a big scam in most cases. The extra sales they get from hospitals and pharmacies chucking out perfectly good medicines must be huge.
There are a few rare exceptions to the rule here, like antibiotics actually do go off, but in the vast majority of cases pharmaceuticals are very stable drugs and will last ages. Benzos for example are extremely stable and will last probably hundreds of years if stored correctly.
Even LSD which is known to be more delicate than most drugs will last a good while if you store it properly (basically dry and away from light and heat).
Oh and speaking of the NHS, as much as they have problems especially when it comes to treating mental illness, they are good at a lot of things. I was able to get a same day appointment to get a problematic wound fixed this morning. Currently on DHC letting it heal up.