Study shows 88% of expired drugs still work years past their shelf life

Kamran Khan challenged widely held beliefs about expired medicines, arguing that many drugs remain effective well past their printed expiration dates—a claim backed by decades of U.S. government research.

Khan cited the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Defense’s “Shelf Life Extension Program” (SLEP), a 40-year-long initiative that tested more than 3,000 batches of medications. The findings were striking: 88% of tested drugs remained effective for five to 15 years after their official expiry dates.

“Isn’t that shocking?” Khan said. “We throw away medicines the moment they cross their expiry date, sometimes even a week past. But research shows many of them could still be completely safe and effective.”

The study involved rigorous chemical testing, clinical trials, and pharmaceutical analysis. It revealed that only 12% of the tested medicines had truly degraded. Tablets, capsules, and syrups fared particularly well, while certain temperature-sensitive drugs—like insulin, liquid antibiotics, and nitroglycerin—did lose potency and should not be used past their expiry.

Khan acknowledged that expiry dates serve as guarantees from pharmaceutical companies about safety and efficacy up to a specific point. However, he questioned whether those dates are always scientifically justified—or if they are partly driven by the $1.8 trillion global pharmaceutical industry's business interests.

“Do companies stay silent on how long their drugs really last because it’s profitable to do so?” he asked.

Khan urged the viewers to rely on expert medical advice when it comes to health decisions. “Your health is priceless,” he said. “And it’s better to be wise than just wary.”