How to Check Lot Numbers and Recalls When Clearing Expired Medications

Clearing expired medications isn’t just about tidying up shelves-it’s a safety ritual. Every year, expired medications contribute to over 1.3 million emergency room visits in the U.S. alone. That’s not a statistic you ignore. If you work in a pharmacy, clinic, or even manage medications at home, knowing how to properly check lot numbers and recall alerts can prevent harm, waste, and legal trouble.

Why Lot Numbers Matter More Than You Think

Lot numbers aren’t random codes. They’re the fingerprint of a drug batch. Every pill, capsule, or vial produced in the same manufacturing run gets the same lot number. That’s how manufacturers and regulators track problems. If a batch is contaminated, mislabeled, or degrades faster than expected, the lot number is the key to pulling it off shelves fast.

The FDA has required lot numbers on all prescription drugs since 1979. Since 2010, they’ve also required expiration dates (EXP) to be clearly printed alongside them. But here’s the catch: you can’t calculate an expiration date from a lot number. Many people try. They see "230515" and assume it means May 15, 2023-so they guess the medicine expires in 1 or 2 years after that. That’s dangerous.

Pfizer might use "230515A" to mean May 15, 2023, production. Merck could use "MK22B047" where "22" means 2022. But there’s no universal code. Even if you know the manufacturer’s system, you still don’t know how long that specific drug lasts. Some antibiotics expire in 1 year. Some heart medications last 3. The only thing you can trust? The "EXP" date printed right on the bottle.

How to Read the Expiration Date (EXP)

Look for "EXP" or "Expiration Date" on the packaging. It’s usually in month/year format-like "EXP 04/26" for April 2026. But not all labels are clear. Some use day/month/year, especially if the drug came from outside the U.S. A label showing "15/04/26" could mean April 15, 2026-or it could mean June 15, 2026 if someone misreads it as day/month/year.

A 2023 study found 38% of international pharmaceuticals use non-U.S. date formats. That’s why you never guess. Always read the label as written. If it’s unclear, check the original manufacturer’s website or call their customer service. Don’t assume. Don’t estimate.

Check for Recalls-Every Time

Just because a drug hasn’t expired doesn’t mean it’s safe. Recalls happen. A batch might be contaminated. A label might say "50 mg" but actually contain 100 mg. Or the drug might have degraded due to improper storage.

The FDA maintains a public database: Recalls, Market Withdrawals & Safety Alerts. You can search it by drug name, manufacturer, or-most importantly-lot number. Before you throw out any expired medication, cross-check its lot number here. Why? Because sometimes, a recall happens before the expiration date. If you don’t check, you might accidentally give someone a recalled drug that’s still within its "valid" window.

In 2021, the FDA documented 217 recall incidents where improper lot tracking delayed action. That led to $412 million in wasted meds-and worse, potential patient harm.

Technician scans an expired medication bottle under bright light, with an AI scanner hovering and a faded label marked by a question mark.

Three-Step Verification: The Only Safe Method

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) says there’s one proven way to clear expired meds safely:

Visually confirm the EXP date on the original packaging. Don’t rely on your inventory system’s guess. Look at the bottle.
Scan or enter the lot number into your inventory system. If you’re using a barcode scanner, make sure the lighting is strong-500+ lux. Poor light causes misreads.
Match the lot number to the FDA recall database. Even if the drug is expired, you need to know if it was part of a recall. Some recalls trigger mandatory destruction procedures.

A 2022 Harvard Medical School study showed this three-step method reduces expired medication errors by 98.6%. That’s not a small win. That’s life-saving.

What Happens If You Get It Wrong?

Mistakes happen. But the cost is high.

PharmacyTechForum.com had over 1,200 reports in 2024 from technicians who misread lot numbers. One CVS tech said they waste 15-20% more vaccines because they’re unsure if a lot number means expiration or manufacturing date. That’s money, time, and trust lost.

Worse, some facilities keep expired drugs because they misread the lot number as a manufacturing date and assumed the drug was still good. In 2023, Dr. Marcus Wright documented 43 cases where European "MFG + 36 months" labels were mistaken for expiration dates. People threw out perfectly good meds worth $2.7 million.

On the flip side, clinics using automated systems like MedKeeper saw a 94% drop in errors. UC San Diego Medical Center cut their inventory clearance time from 3 hours to 22 minutes per cycle-just by scanning both lot and EXP dates together.

Healthcare workers follow a three-step safety process to clear expired meds, with photos, forms, and a recall checklist visible.

How to Set Up a Reliable Process

If you’re managing inventory, here’s a simple 7-step system based on ASHP’s 2024 guidelines:

Isolate any medication with an EXP date within 60 days of today.
Scan the lot number into your system at least 30 days before expiration.
Check the FDA recall database for that lot number.
Call the manufacturer if the system flags an inconsistency.
Take timestamped photos of the medication and its label before disposal.
If it’s a controlled substance (like opioids), complete FDA Form 3639.
Keep records for at least 2 years-DEA requires it.

Training staff takes about 4.2 hours on average. But after three practice rounds, accuracy jumps to 90%. That’s worth the time.

What’s Changing in 2025 and Beyond

By November 2025, the FDA will require all pharmacies to have full electronic lot tracking. Right now, 98.7% of chain pharmacies use automated systems. But only 42.3% of independent pharmacies do. That’s a gap-and a risk.

New tools are coming. The FDA approved Medplore’s AI scanner in April 2024. It can read EXP dates from blurry, damaged, or poorly lit labels with 99.2% accuracy. That’s huge. One in three medication labels gets damaged during handling. This tool fixes that.

The industry is also moving toward standardization. The SNI (Standardized Numerical Identification) initiative aims to make lot numbers easier to read. But here’s the key: expiration dates will remain separate. The FDA is clear: don’t merge them. Always read the EXP date. Always verify the lot number. Always check the recall database.

Final Rule: Never Guess

You’ll see lot numbers that look like dates. You’ll see labels that are faded. You’ll see conflicting info in your system. Don’t guess. Don’t assume. Don’t rely on memory.

The only reliable expiration date is the one printed on the package. The only way to know if a drug is recalled is to check the FDA database with its lot number. Everything else is a risk.

If you’re clearing expired meds, treat it like a safety check-not a chore. One wrong decision can hurt someone. One correct decision can save a life.

Can I figure out when a medicine expires just by looking at the lot number?

No. Lot numbers indicate when a batch was made, not when it expires. Manufacturers use different formats, and expiration dates depend on the drug’s chemistry, not the manufacturing date. Always read the "EXP" date printed on the packaging. That’s the only legally valid expiration date.

What should I do if the expiration date is faded or missing?

If the expiration date is unreadable, treat the medication as expired and do not use it. Contact the manufacturer using the lot number to ask for the correct expiration date. If you can’t confirm it, dispose of the medication safely. Never guess or estimate-this is a safety risk.

How do I check if my medication has been recalled?

Go to the FDA’s official Recalls, Market Withdrawals & Safety Alerts page and search by the drug name, manufacturer, or lot number. You can also call the manufacturer directly using the contact info on the label. Never rely on word-of-mouth or social media rumors.

Are expired medications dangerous to take?

Some expired medications lose potency and won’t work as intended-like antibiotics or heart drugs. Others can break down into harmful substances. The FDA says most expired medications aren’t toxic, but they’re not guaranteed to be safe or effective. Never take expired medicine unless directed by a doctor in an emergency.

Why do some pharmacies still have expired meds on the shelf?

Many independent pharmacies lack automated inventory systems. They rely on manual checks, which are slow and error-prone. Staff may misread lot numbers or miss expiration dates on faded labels. The FDA reports that 1 in 8 improperly cleared expired meds come from small pharmacies without digital tracking.

Is it safe to flush expired medications down the toilet?

Only if the label says so or if it’s a controlled substance like opioids. Most medications should be disposed of through take-back programs at pharmacies or police stations. Flushing can contaminate water supplies. The FDA has a list of drugs that are safe to flush due to high abuse risk-check their website for the current list.

Do I need to keep records after clearing expired meds?

Yes. If you’re a pharmacy or healthcare facility, you must keep disposal records for at least two years under DEA rules. Take photos of the expired items with their labels visible, note the date and lot number, and document how they were destroyed. This protects you in case of audits or investigations.