(Cont) About keeping expired medication at home?

HI..Thanks for some great answer I just received...For those who didn't know what i was talking about,I'm pasting the original question :AS A HOMECARE NURSE, I TOLD TO MY PATIENT'S FAMILY THAT MY NURSING LICENSE MIGHT BE IN TROUBLE IF THE STATE BOARD OF NURSING (ARIZONA) MIGHT PUT ME IN TROUBLE IF THEY FIND THAT A BUNCH OF EXPIRED MEDS ARE IN THE PATIENT'S CABINET....THE FAMILY DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE THAT ...I'M I RIGHT ????
I believe that a lot of people who gave me all those bad answers earlier don't know nothing about "JCAHO Changes Related to High-Risk Medications". I'm taking care of that pediatric patient at home since one week,and his meds cabinet it's full of expired meds..I don't understand why the family want to keep them inside the patient's cabinet .As a homecare nurse, my agency can have an inspection or survey at any time from the Arizona State Board of nursing.And by the law I'm suppose to educate the family about .So is my nursing license at risk ?

American law is different to mine country but I was told by a druggist that when a medication is expired it loose it strength but can still be use. It wouldn't have the same strong effect, I also told that long ago it didn't had expiration dates but due to food and drug and American love for suing that came about.
I actually use and expired drug it was antibiotic power and it work very well and it was on my son's navel when he was born and got infected and he has a very cute button and germ free.

It's their medications and they have a right to keep them as long as the want to. You can tell them that they should get rid of them, but the drugs belong to them and there isn't a thing you can do-----except......

If the child has access to the drugs and you think the child is in danger--then you can call Child Protective Services. But if you do that, they may remove the child from the home. Think about this very carefully.

I don't know about your license being at risk. However I do believe Physicians and pharmacist as well as drug companies should be more pro-active about the dangers of out dated medications. Some drugs loose their affectiveness, other drugs can become more concentrated with age. Other drugs the chemicals start to break down. It is truely not worth the risk im my opinion. Maybe you should have these family sign a paper saying you have gone over the dangers of outdated drugs and clear yourself from the possible consequences of these family's lack of concern.

Your nursing licence will not be at risk. It is the patient's choice if he/she still keeps the medication.

However, you should advise the patient that the medication loses it's effectiveness if past the expiry date!

Stop worrying. This is not your dilemma!