Expired Glucagon

What do you do with the expired Glucagon??? Ours fall under Tier 3 so each was $60.
I have several in my medicine cabinets and half of them are expired. Canyou still use it? Have anyone use an expired Glucagon, if you did, what happened? Any adverse effect?

You should be able to return it to the pharmacy for a replacement. Glucagon is supposed to be handled that way–we have never had a problem with the exchange.

I’ve used many expired Gluagon kits in my years. Mine were 1 to 2 years old when I used them. They hap pretty much the same affect as the ones in date have had. If you can see if you can get them refilled. I don’t want to advise you to do it ut in a pinch I have.

Are you sure? You can just walk right in to your pharmacy, hand them an expired Glucagon and they will give you a brand spanking new one? No charge? Wow.

Not sure my pharmacy would really like that idea???

I think it is a deal with the maker. They send the old ones back and are reimbursed for the exchange. In some places you may need to mail the old ones back. Check with the manufacturer. We have done it for years. Always have one on hand, but have only ever used one, so it is a waste otherwise. I think they want to encourage having them to avoid ER trips. Also, I have really good health insurance, whiich might help.

Most pharmacies have a deal with the suppliers, medications that have not been sold, but expire or go bad can be returned for replacement. But accepting returns from a customer of expired medications? I doubt anyone else would get that and we probably should stop talking about it before you get cut off from your free supply of glucagon.

My son’s doctor recommends that we use expired Glucagon as practice. Practice getting the shot ready so that you know what and how to do it during an emergency.

TIForever,
I may need to check with my pharmacy. We refill our insulin from the mail order but we get our Glucagon from Target. I hope what you say is correct. We have 5 expired glucagon. We had to buy one for school, daycare, home, car and one that stays in his insulin pouch. Good information, thanks! Even if they don’t exchange, there’s no harm in asking :slight_smile:

I’m one of those who has used expired glucagon with no problems. How far I let them be used is yet to be seen. …

See if a local school will take them. I know mine does.

Any time a diabetic child is present in the building, staff who wish to volunteer as those able to give Glucagon to the child in an emergency have to go through training and get certified by a nurse EVERY YEAR (at least they do here in WI). Part of this training is a skills test, in which you have to draw up Glucagon and inject it into a dummy.

Our schools are always short of supply - often several staff members have to share a kit and give the dummy mini doses, lol.

I always donate my expired Glucagon to the school nurse - I know that it will be used to train others to keep myself and other diabetics in the building safe (there are at least 2 others on insulin, using pumps…and there is at least one diabetic child at the school I work at as well).

Great idea!

We also donate expired glucagon to the school for training purposes.

I have so far donated 9 expired glucagon to the school and 2 to his caregiver to practice. Every year I have 5. Maybe this year, we will just get 3. Thanks all for very helpful and informative replies. :slight_smile:

SUCH a good idea.