Scenario: you dig an eye drop bottle from deep in your travel bag.   The expiration date on the worn label is next month .. is this drop still ok to put in your eye?  Maybe... Maybe not...   I wonder if this eye drop is still ok to use?

 Although eye drops are all stamped with expiration dates, this date is irrelevant once the bottle is open!   

How long the drop is actually effective and safe after opening is dependent on the bottle and it’s contents. Most standard bottles with preserved drops will have a 30 day shelf life once opened.    This means that contents should be used or disposed within one month of opening… independent of the date on the bottle.

Special eye drop bottle designs can extend this open-bottle shelf life up to 3 or 6 or even 12 months.  These advanced bottle designs also have the added benefit of no-preservation chemicals.

Single use drops are also great for providing clean, no-preservative options.   Once a single use vial is opened… it should be used withing 24 hours.

My clinical recommendation for patients wanting to use drops ‘as needed’  e.g. for computer dry eye.. would be to use a drop with a bottle providing anti-evaporative ingredients, non preserved and have a very long - opened - shelf life like I-drop MGD.   12 months open shelf life once opened!

All mEYEspa drops are checked regularly to ensure that you are not receiving short expiration dated product.  See the bottom of our product listings to see live expiration dated on current inventory.   Be careful of fake eye drops as expiration dates are the least of your worries!

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RELATED TOPICS: Basic Dry Eye Guide, How can preservative-free drops last longer?