05 Dec Drug expiration dates: Information your practice needs for less risk, higher margins
As published in DVM360’s November 2022 publication
By Melissa King, PharmD, Director of Manufacturing Operations, Epicur Pharma
Traditionally, veterinary hospitals and clinics utilized neighborhood or national 503A compounding pharmacies to fill prescriptions for compounded medications. These medications are labeled with a “Beyond-Use Date” or BUD. With the growing number of 503B manufactured veterinary medicines available for your most prescribed patient needs, you may notice that these products are labeled with an expiration date instead. Understanding this seemingly small difference can make a significant difference to your standard of care and your practice’s bottom line.
Beyond-use dates for compounded sterile and nonsterile preparations from 503A pharmacies are never dated longer than six months and limited documentation is provided to prove otherwise. New USP guidelines will limit these dates even further.
You’ll notice expiration dates for 503B manufactured medicines typically offer a far longer shelf life, ranging from months to years. The expiration date is determined after robust stability testing required by the FDA’s cGMP regulations. This longer shelf life and comprehensive stability testing offers veterinary practices:
- Improved inventory management and reduced waste
- Stock available for office use, improving patient care
- Accurate dosing and reduced risk of contaminated drugs and toxic byproducts
Inventory waste due to expired medicines can represent 1.5-2% of your total revenue. By stocking 503B manufactured medicines with longer shelf lives, veterinary practices can reduce guesswork, improve outcomes, and boost profit margins.
Click here to read more about the differences between beyond-use-date vs. expiration dates!
This is a paid sponsored content article from Epicur Pharma.