As for the shelf life of the cream that comes in the form of a tube following opening, it is 6 months, or according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, if the period is shorter. As for the cream that comes in the form of a box, its period is one month following opening.
As for ointments in the form of a tube, its shelf life is 6 months from opening, or according to the manufacturer’s recommendations if the period is shorter. As for the ointment in the form of a box, the shelf life is 3 months from the date of opening, or according to the manufacturer’s recommendations if the period is shorter.
The expiry date of the effervescent tablets packed in cans is one month from the date of opening them, and the expiration date of eye drops or ointments, whether ear or nose, is often 28 days from the date of opening or according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Single-dose drops are used once only, and the remainder of the single-dose unit is disposed of in a safe manner. The expiry date of insulin following opening is 4 weeks for the pen or ampoule, if kept at a temperature of 2-8°C.
There are cases in which the validity period of medicines varies following they are opened, so the Egyptian Medicines Authority advises to refer to what is written in the drug’s internal leaflet, and to follow the instructions written on the packages.