Failing to notice expiration dates on medicines could be toxic

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NBC NEWS - Your fridge isn't the only place you should be checking for "use-by dates."

Just take a look through your medicine cabinet and you'll probably find expired drugs.

Stacie Blazek’s medicine cabinet is stocked and ready for whatever ails her two kids.

"I assume that the medications are safe, I don't check the expiration dates and now I know that I need to check my medicine cabinet periodically to update things," said Blazek.

How updated is her medicine cabinet?

We sent Baylor pharmacist Kristen Hesch to find out. There were allergy medications, cough syrups, Zicam, and more.

The big concern, say pharmacists, are prescription bottles. Drugs like tetracycline and doxycycline can actually be toxic.

"So it's a use at your own risk beyond that date," said Hesch.

Even supplements have expiration dates.

"The amount of medicines people keep for longer than they should, longer than the expiration date is just phenomenal, especially with the larger size packages that we sell in the supermarkets now," Hesch said.

Stacie says she learned the lesson the easy way.

"I've cleaned out all the creams, allergy medications, the flu medicines, the cough medicines, so hopefully we'll all be safe," said Blazek.

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