Does eptifibatide expire?
The printed date covers the sealed pack. Once eptifibatide is opened, mixed or diluted, its label sets a second and usually much shorter limit — quoted below, per product.
Shortest limit on any eptifibatide label: 2 months
“Upon transfer, vial cartons must be marked by the dispensing pharmacist with a "DISCARD BY" date (2 months from the transfer date or the labeled expiration date, whichever comes first).”
That applies to the product it is printed on, not to every form of eptifibatide — check which one you have against the list below.
What the labels say
“Upon transfer, vial cartons must be marked by the dispensing pharmacist with a "DISCARD BY" date (2 months from the transfer date or the labeled expiration date, whichever comes first).”
On the label for Eptifibatide · DailyMed
“Upon transfer, vial cartons must be marked by the dispensing pharmacist with a “DISCARD BY” date (2 months from the transfer date or the labeled expiration date, whichever comes first).”
On the label for Eptifibatide · DailyMed
“Upon transfer, Eptifibatide injection cartons must be marked by the dispensing pharmacist with a “DISCARD BY” date (2 months from the transfer date or the labeled expiration date, whichever comes first).”
On the label for Eptifibatide · DailyMed
How the label says to keep eptifibatide
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.
- “16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING 16.”
- “Vials should be stored refrigerated at 2° to 8°C (36° to 46°F).”
- “Vials may be transferred to room temperature storage* for a period not to exceed 2 months.”
- “Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature].”
- “Protect from light until administration.”
- “Store at 25°C (77°F); excursions permitted to 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature].”
- “Vials should be stored refrigerated between 2° and 8°C (36° and 46°F).”
- “Store at 25°C (77°F); excursions permitted between 15° and 30°C (59° and 86°F).”
Frequently asked questions
Does eptifibatide 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 2 months on some eptifibatide products, and that is the number quoted on this page.
Can I still use eptifibatide 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 eptifibatide 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 eptifibatide
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.