Question
Using expired ARVs
6 February 2022. Related: Access to treatment, Adherence, All topics.
Lately I am using ARV Atripla that will expire in February 2022. I have to take this ARV until 14 March. Is it safe to use these during February and the two first weeks of march? Cause I have read that ARV have a short lifetime (18- 24 month).
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
Are you able to get any ARVs to replace the ones that will expire? The biggest risk of taking expired ARVs is that it is no longer guaranteed that they will work as well as they usually do. A month after expiration is not likely to be a problem but it is important to be aware of this.
As a result of the potentially reduced efficacy there is a slight risk of HIV drug resistance. However this is a very small risk. Taking expired ARVs will be of more benefit than of taking none.
Josh.
Hi James, thanks.
Solid tablets are generally very stable and are still likely to be effective for years after the expiry date. Capsules can be more vulnerable to heat changes and might not be so stable, but oral PrEP is tablets.
Are you taking daily PrEP or using on-demand 2:1:1 dosing?
This would be another way to make your supply last longer and would be just as effective.
https://i-base.info/uk-guide-to-prep-february-2024/
Kind Forum. Thank you for supporting. I’ve been running low of prep abut will be picking some new pills up tomorrow.
In the mean time, I’ve been finishing my bottles of prep as prescribed but as I’ve been low for past week I’ve subsidise and use some old Emtricitabine/Tenofovir disoproxil. Didn’t realise the expiry date was October 2022!
Seen general studies about drugs and medication lasting up to 15 years if stored correctly. Not sure if there’s been a study solely on efficacy of prep after expiration.
Am I in trouble? I’ve taken normal non expired tablets aswell as expired ones here and there too! I realise in a previous comment by Sally he drugs were 20 years out, my are two year. But interesting to know the efficiency. Thank you.
Hi Josh, expired medications don’t usually become toxic. Medication expires on the basis that it is less effective as the medication is older and degrades over time.
Taking this expired medication is not going to be as effective as in date treatment. This far out of date can lead to problems with resistance and treatment failure. It would not be recommend to take this medication. At this point the medication would have more risk of harm instead of the potential benefits.
What about genvoya that is 5 years old? I can’t find any actual information anywhere just a bunch. If stuff saying don’t take expired meds. But what about if there was a catastrophe and new meds were unavailable but i had a 5 year supply of fresh arvs. Would they become toxic before I ran out? Or useless?
Hi Mary, expired ARVs should not be causing reactions to your skin if it was fine when they were in date. Expired means that the drug might be less effective, but different side effects won’t happen. Have you gone to see a doctor about these reactions?
I have been taking expired arv drug without any knowledge of it and now I have reactions on my skin