Question for Simponi users

General Medications
1

I'm on the standard monthly dosing frequency and the pharmacy supply my pre-filled syringe once a month. I've noticed several times over the last 18+ months that the expiry date is either that same month or at the most the following month.

Last week they delivered me two doses, one for injecting today and one for November 1st which I'll be taking abroad later this month to inject on holiday. Checking the expiry date this morning October 2015 - both syringes!!

Spoke to the pharmacy (they apologised for not performing this most perfunctory of sanity tests on what they were sending out) and are re-issuing the November dose next week with a valid expiry for me to take away .... so that problem solved (but what a waste of an expensive drug).

My questions:

- are you all receiving syringes/auto-pens with short expiry dates (in which case it must be something to do with the golimumab itself)? Never had this issue when I was on Humira so it makes me wonder!

- September 1st dose expired the same month and based on how rubbish I've been the last four weeks I would swear that injection has not had any effect at all ... so has anyone else noticed this when injecting a dose with a short/same month expiry date?

I am seeing my new rheumatologist on Monday and will speak to her about it but thought it might be helpful to do a bit of background checking here first. Thanks eveyone.

2

That's quite disconcerting, Jules. I pitched some milk that was way past its expiry date this morning but you'd think the pharmacy would do better than me!

3

I agree Jane. I figure, given what this stuff is, that once it's past expiry date it's probably not gonna kill you but it's not going to work either. When they called back to arrange re-delivery they said they're sending a Jiffy bag for me to send the 'expired' dose back to them .... no doubt so they can return it to Janssen (or whatever they do) in order to avoid any kind of charge.


janeatiu said:

That's quite disconcerting, Jules. I pitched some milk that was way past its expiry date this morning but you'd think the pharmacy would do better than me!