Amoxicillin stability

Pediatrics for Parents, Nov, 1990

Any parent who has suffered through bouts of ear infections is familiar with amoidcillin. It's the drug most frequently used to treat this common childhood infection.

Amoxicillin comes in three forms: suspension, chewables, and tablets. The suspension is best for young children, although the chewables are preferred by many parents once their children can take them.

Many parents wonder how long amoxicillin will last. The tablets and chewables have an expiration date on the bottle and they shouldn't be used after their expiration date. The suspension comes as a powder and is good until the expiration date on the bottle. According to Beecham Labs, the makers of Amoxil (one brand of amoxicillin), the suspension, once mixed with water, is good for 30 days if kept refrigerated and 20 days if stored at room temperature. The package insert (information about the drug that comes with every bottle and is also listed in the Physicians Desk Reference), states any reconstituted drug should be discarded after 14 days.