Does formoterol expire?
The printed date covers the sealed pack. Once formoterol is opened, mixed or diluted, its label sets a second and usually much shorter limit — quoted below, per product.
Shortest limit on any formoterol label: 3 months
“After dispensing to the patient: Store in a refrigerator at 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F) and discard when drug expires or store at room temperature, 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F) and discard if not used after 3 months.”
That applies to the product it is printed on, not to every form of formoterol — check which one you have against the list below.
What the labels say
“After dispensing to the patient: Store in a refrigerator at 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F) and discard when drug expires or store at room temperature, 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F) and discard if not used after 3 months.”
On the label for Formoterol fumarate · DailyMed
“If stored at room temperature, discard formoterol fumarate inhalation solution if it is not used after 3 months or if past the expiration date, whichever is sooner.”
On the label for Formoterol Fumarate · DailyMed
How the label says to keep formoterol
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.
- “and Handling: Prior to dispensing to the patient : Store in a refrigerator, 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F).”
- “Store in a refrigerator at 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F) and discard when drug expires or store at room temperature, 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F) and discard if not used after 3 months.”
- “16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING Formoterol fumarate inhalation solution, 20 mcg/2 mL is supplied as clear, colorless sterile solution for nebulization in 2.”
- “and Handling: Prior to dispensing to the patient: Store in a refrigerator, 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F).”
- “Store formoterol fumarate inhalation solution in a refrigerator between 36° to 46°F (2° to 8°C) in the protective foil pouch.”
- “Protect from light and heat.”
- “16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING Formoterol Fumarate Inhalation Solution, 20 mcg/2 mL is supplied as a clear, colorless sterile solution for nebulization in 2.”
- “16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING Formoterol fumarate inhalation solution is supplied as a 2 mL sterile solution for nebulization in 2.”
Frequently asked questions
Does formoterol 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 3 months on some formoterol products, and that is the number quoted on this page.
Can I still use formoterol 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 formoterol 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 formoterol
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.