Does clarithromycin expire?
The printed date covers the sealed pack. Once clarithromycin is opened, mixed or diluted, its label sets a second and usually much shorter limit — quoted below, per product.
Shortest limit on any clarithromycin label: 14 days
“After mixing, store at 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F) and use within 14 days.”
That applies to the product it is printed on, not to every form of clarithromycin — check which one you have against the list below.
What the labels say
“After mixing, store at 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F) and use within 14 days.”
On the label for Clarithromycin · DailyMed
How the label says to keep clarithromycin
Storage is the other half of the question: the stability behind any date assumes these conditions, and a medicine kept outside them ages faster than the calendar says.
- “Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature].”
- “Protect from light.”
- “Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F); excursions permitted to 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature].”
- “Store clarithromycin tablets, USP at controlled room temperature 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F) in a well-closed container.”
- “Store clarithromycin extended-release tablets, USP at 20º to 25ºC (68º to 77ºF).”
- “Store clarithromycin for oral suspension below 25°C (77°F) in a well-closed container [see USP Controlled Room Temperature].”
- “After mixing, store at 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F) and use within 14 days.”
- “16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING Clarithromycin tablets USP, 250 mg are yellow oval film-coated tablets debossed with ‘L139’ on one side and plain on the other side.”
Frequently asked questions
Does clarithromycin expire?
Two different clocks apply and only one of them is the printed date. The date on a sealed pack is the manufacturer's guarantee for the unopened product. Once it is opened, mixed or diluted, the label imposes its own limit — as tight as 14 days on some clarithromycin products, and that is the number quoted on this page.
Can I still use clarithromycin after the date on the box?
This page cannot tell you that, and nor can any page. The FDA's own shelf-life programme found 88% of tested lots stayed within specification at least a year past expiry — and concluded in the same breath that lot-to-lot variation means this can only be confirmed by testing each lot. What you can check at home is the in-use limit above and whether the product has been stored as the label requires. Ask a pharmacist about a specific pack; they will also dispose of what you no longer need.
Why do different clarithromycin products have different limits?
Because they are different formulations. A suspension that gets mixed with water, a pen that gets carried at room temperature, and a sealed tablet do not behave alike, so each manufacturer's label sets its own limit and each is shown here with the product it belongs to. We never merge them into one number for the molecule.
More on clarithromycin
Quoted from FDA labels for reference, not medical advice, and not a suggestion to use anything past its limit. If you are unsure whether a pack is still good, a pharmacist can tell you and can dispose of it safely.