How to Check Lot Numbers and Recalls When Clearing Expired Medications

Clearing expired medications isn’t just about cleaning out a shelf. It’s a safety step that can prevent harm, avoid legal trouble, and stop thousands of dollars in waste. But if you’re guessing expiration dates from a jumble of letters and numbers on a pill bottle, you’re doing it wrong. The lot number isn’t your expiration date. It’s a trace code. And mixing them up can lead to dangerous mistakes.

Why Lot Numbers Don’t Tell You When Medicine Expires

You see a lot number like "230515A" on a bottle of blood pressure pills and think: "That’s May 15, 2023-so it expired a year ago?" Wrong. That’s the manufacturing date. Not the expiration. The FDA requires every prescription and over-the-counter medicine to print the actual expiration date right on the package as "EXP" followed by a month and year-like "EXP 05/2025". That’s the only date that matters.

Manufacturers use lot numbers to track which batch of pills came from which machine, at which plant, and when. Pfizer might use "230515A" to mean May 15, 2023, production line A. Merck might use "MK22B047" where "22" is the year and "B047" is the batch. But none of those codes tell you how long the drug lasts. Shelf life depends on the chemical formula, packaging, and storage conditions. A bottle of insulin might expire 28 days after opening, even if the bottle says "EXP 12/2026". Another drug might be stable for five years. You can’t guess it.

The FDA’s 2022 report found that over 1.3 million emergency room visits in the U.S. each year are tied to expired or misused medications. Most of those happen because someone assumed the lot number was the expiration date.

How to Find the Real Expiration Date

Look at the packaging. Every legally sold medicine in Australia, the U.S., Canada, and the EU must show the expiration date clearly. It’s usually on the side of the box, the blister pack, or the bottle label. Look for "EXP", "Expiry", or "Use By". The format is almost always month/year-like "06/2025". Some international brands use day/month/year, like "15/06/2025". If you’re unsure, check the packaging again. If it’s faded, damaged, or missing, treat the medicine as expired.

Don’t rely on apps or websites that claim to decode lot numbers. There’s no public database that links batch codes to expiration dates. Even if you find a tool online that says it works, it’s not official. Pharmacies use internal systems that match lot numbers to manufacturer records-but those aren’t available to the public. Your best tool? Your eyes.

Check for Recalls Before You Throw Anything Away

Just because a medicine is expired doesn’t mean it’s safe to toss. Some batches get recalled before their expiration date because of contamination, incorrect dosage, or manufacturing flaws. That’s why you need to cross-check the lot number with official recall databases before disposal.

In Australia, use the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recalls page. In the U.S., use the FDA’s Recalls, Market Withdrawals & Safety Alerts database. Both are free and updated daily. Search by the lot number printed on the package. If there’s a match, follow the instructions. You might need to return it to the pharmacy, even if it’s expired.

In 2023, the FDA recorded 217 recall incidents where expired medications were mistakenly kept in stock because staff didn’t check the lot number against recall alerts. One case involved a batch of antibiotics that were contaminated with a toxic chemical-still in use because the expiration date hadn’t passed. People got sick. That’s why step two is always: scan the lot number. Then check the recall list.

The Three-Step Clearance Process (ASHP Guidelines)

Pharmacies and clinics follow a strict three-step process to clear expired meds safely. You should too.

1. Visually confirm the EXP date-Look at the package. If it’s expired, set it aside. Don’t assume.
2. Scan the lot number into your inventory system or write it down. This links the physical item to digital records.
3. Check the FDA or TGA recall database-Type in the lot number. If there’s a recall, don’t throw it out. Contact your pharmacy or local health authority for return instructions.

Harvard Medical School’s 2022 study showed this method reduces expired medication errors by 98.6%. That’s not just good practice-it’s life-saving.

What to Do If the Label Is Damaged or Missing

Sometimes bottles get dropped. Labels peel. Ink fades. If you can’t read the EXP date, and the lot number is unreadable too, treat it as expired. Don’t risk it. Even if you think the medicine "looks fine," chemicals degrade over time. Antibiotics can become toxic. Painkillers can lose potency. Hormones can become unpredictable.

In these cases, take the bottle to a pharmacy. Most offer free disposal services for expired or unwanted meds. They have secure containers and know how to handle controlled substances like opioids or benzodiazepines. Never flush pills down the toilet or toss them in the trash without mixing them with coffee grounds or cat litter first-that’s a safety risk.

Why Automated Systems Are Changing the Game

Big pharmacies use barcode scanners linked to manufacturer databases. When they scan a pill bottle, the system pulls up the expiration date, lot number, and recall status in under a second. That’s how they cut clearance time from three hours to 22 minutes per inventory cycle.

The FDA approved Medplore’s AI scanner tool in April 2024. It reads EXP dates from blurry, damaged, or poorly lit labels with 99.2% accuracy. That’s huge. A University of Florida study found 31% of medication labels get damaged during handling. Before this tech, many expired meds slipped through.

Even small clinics can now use affordable handheld scanners that sync with cloud databases. They cost under $300 and connect to your phone. If you’re managing meds for a home care service, aged care facility, or even a family member’s medicine cabinet, it’s worth the investment.

Common Mistakes That Lead to Waste and Risk

Here’s what goes wrong-and how to avoid it:

• Mistake: Thinking "MFG 03/2022" means it expired in 2022. Fix: Look for "EXP"-not "MFG".
• Mistake: Assuming all drugs last 2-3 years. Fix: Insulin expires 28 days after opening. Nitroglycerin loses potency after six months. Check the label.
• Mistake: Ignoring recalls because the date hasn’t passed. Fix: A recalled drug is unsafe-even if it’s not expired.
• Mistake: Using a lot number from a different bottle. Fix: Each bottle has its own lot number. Never guess.
• Mistake: Throwing away unopened meds without checking if they’re still viable. Fix: If it’s not recalled and the EXP date is still good, keep it. Don’t waste.

What Happens If You Don’t Check Properly

In 2023, a small pharmacy in Queensland kept a batch of antibiotics on the shelf because the lot number was misread. The EXP date was clearly printed: "01/2024". But the staff thought the lot number "Q230105" meant it expired in January 2023. They didn’t check the recall database. A patient took it. Got sick. Had to be hospitalized.

The pharmacy was fined $18,000. The patient’s family sued. The medicine was traced back to a contaminated batch recalled three weeks earlier.

This isn’t rare. Independent pharmacies in Australia and the U.S. have a 58% higher error rate than chain stores because they skip the digital check. The NCPA’s 2023 survey found only 42% of small pharmacies use automated lot tracking. That’s one in every two pharmacies guessing.

How to Stay Compliant in 2026

By November 2025, the FDA requires all pharmacies to use electronic lot tracking. Australia’s TGA is moving in the same direction. You don’t need a $50,000 system. Even a simple spreadsheet with columns for Drug Name, Lot Number, EXP Date, and Recall Status will work. Update it monthly. Print it out. Keep it near the meds.

Keep a list of manufacturer contact numbers. If you find a strange lot number, call them. Most have dedicated customer service lines for batch inquiries. Don’t wait for a recall to find out something’s wrong.

Use good lighting. Medplore’s scanner needs 500+ lux to read labels accurately. A dim corner of a cupboard? That’s a recipe for error. Turn on the light.

Final Rule: Trust the EXP Date. Always.

The lot number is a trace tool. Not a timer. The expiration date is the law. It’s printed by the manufacturer, verified by regulators, and enforced by courts. If the EXP date says "07/2025", it’s good until July 31, 2025. If it says "06/2024", it’s expired. Period.

Check the recall database every time you clear meds. Even if it’s not expired. Even if you’re sure it’s fine. Because sometimes, the medicine isn’t the problem-the batch is.

When in doubt, take it to a pharmacy. They’ll dispose of it safely. And you’ll sleep better knowing you didn’t risk someone’s life-or your own liability-because you took a shortcut.