Opened Container: When to Discard
Discard date and time for an opened stock container, from when it was opened and its in-use limit.
Open the tool → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Container
- Multi-dose vial
- Opened or first punctured, date and time
- 2026-10-05T09:30
- Expiration date
- 2027-03
Result: Discard by November 2, 2026, 9:30 am, set by 28 days for an opened multi-dose vial whose manufacturer states no other date (CDC, reporting USP <797>).
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What you enter
- Container: multi-dose vial (multi-dose), another container with a label in-use limit (label-limit), or single-dose (single-dose)
- Opened or first punctured, date and time (YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM)
- Expiration date (YYYY-MM-DD, or YYYY-MM for a month and year)
- In-use limit from the label (blank uses 28 days for a multi-dose vial)
- Limit unit: hours or days
How this is calculated
Citation
CDC, Preventing Unsafe Injection Practices (page dated March 26, 2024), reporting USP General Chapter 797: an opened multi-dose vial is dated and discarded within 28 days unless the manufacturer states another date, and never past the expiration date. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.