Does vasopressin expire?
The printed date covers the sealed pack. Once vasopressin is opened, mixed or diluted, its label sets a second and usually much shorter limit — quoted below, per product.
Shortest limit on any vasopressin label: 18 hours
“Discard unused diluted solution after 18 hours at room temperature or 24 hours under refrigeration.”
That applies to the product it is printed on, not to every form of vasopressin — check which one you have against the list below.
What the labels say
“Discard unused diluted solution after 18 hours at room temperature or 24 hours under refrigeration.”
On the label for VASOPRESSIN · DailyMed
“Discard prepared infusion solutions after 18 hours at room temperature or 24 hours refrigerated.”
On the label for vasopressin · DailyMed
“Discard the refrigerated vial after 48 hours after first puncture.”
On the label for VASOPRESSIN · DailyMed
“Discard the refrigerated 10 mL vial after 30 days after first puncture.”
On the label for Vasopressin · DailyMed
“Discard the product after 2 months at room temperature or at the expiry date, whichever is earlier.”
On the label for Vasopressin · DailyMed
“Discard the product after 12 months at room temperature or at the expiry date, whichever is earlier.”
On the label for Vasopressin · DailyMed
How the label says to keep vasopressin
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 between 2°C and 8°C (36°F and 46°F).”
- “Vials may be held up to 12 months upon removal from refrigeration to room temperature storage conditions (20°C to 25°C [68°F to 77°F], [see USP Controlled Room Temperature]), anytime within the labeled shelf life.”
- “The storage conditions and expiration periods are summarized in the following table.”
- “Vials may be held up to 12 months upon removal from refrigeration to room temperature storage conditions (20°C to 25°C [68°F to 77°F], see USP Controlled Room Temperature), anytime within the labeled shelf life.”
- “is permitted for up to 12 months at controlled room temperature (USP) 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F) within the expiry date.”
- “Store refrigerated between 2°C and 8°C (36°F and 46°F).”
- “The storage conditions and expiration periods (for the 1 mL vial) are summarized in Table 2.”
- “is permitted for up to 2 months at controlled room temperature (USP) 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F) within the expiry date.”
Frequently asked questions
Does vasopressin 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 18 hours on some vasopressin products, and that is the number quoted on this page.
Can I still use vasopressin 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 vasopressin 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 vasopressin
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.