What does the expiration date on a medication indicate?

The expiration date on a medication indicates the last day a medication is guaranteed to retain its full potency and safety when stored properly. This means that after the expiration date, there is no assurance that the medication will be effective or safe to use.

Choosing the date after which the prescription is no longer valid reflects an understanding that medications can lose their effectiveness or even potentially become harmful beyond this date. Users should adhere to this guideline to avoid using medications that may have degraded or altered in composition, which could lead to ineffective treatment or unintended side effects.

The other options do not accurately represent the significance of the expiration date. The date of first usage does not relate to how long a medication is effective, and the date it becomes effective does not pertain to the expiration date; medications typically have specific storage and usage instructions that govern their efficacy. Lastly, the expiration date is not the same as the validity of the prescription itself, which has its own timeframe based on regulations and is separate from the medication's effectiveness timeline.