General Question

JilltheTooth's avatar

Pharma Jellies out there: does freezing a medication (in pill form) cause it to lose its efficacy?

Asked by JilltheTooth (19787points) March 27th, 2011
4 responses
“Great Question” (2points)

I’ll usually buy the BIG containers of things like Ibuprofen and such when they’re on sale, knowing I probably won’t use them up before their potency fades. Can I freeze some in an airtight container for future use? What about prescriptions, for example, sleep meds that may only be used rarely but are bought in lots of 30 pills?

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Answers

Jeruba's avatar

I’m no authority, but my son has acquired a lot of pharmaceutical knowledge through independent study, and he maintains that freezing pills prolongs their period of effectiveness.

JilltheTooth's avatar

Thanks, @Jeruba , I was hoping so! I have no idea if the freezing process alters the chemical composition of the stuff…

Brian1946's avatar

That’s good to know, because I habitually freeze my pharma.

cak's avatar

I can’t state which ones, but several, when I was very sick, had to be maintained within a certain temp range. Before you guess, talk to the pharmacist!

cak (15863points)“Great Answer” (1points)

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