What does the beyond use date (BUD) indicate?

The beyond use date (BUD) is a critical aspect in pharmacy and medication management that indicates the date after which a compounded preparation, including medications, should not be used. This date ensures patient safety by providing a guideline for how long a medication can be expected to maintain its strength, quality, and purity after it has been prepared. The BUD is particularly important because factors such as exposure to air, light, and temperature can significantly affect the stability of pharmaceuticals.

Establishing a BUD is essential for compounded preparations, which may not have specific expiration dates set by manufacturers. BUDs take into account the stability studies or guidelines from compounding standards (such as those established by the United States Pharmacopeia) to determine the safe usage timeframe for patients.

In contrast, maximum storage times in a freezer, recommended shelf life before reconstitution, and the expiration dates of non-sterile products relate to different aspects of storage and usage but do not specifically define when a compounded medication should not be used. These terms may describe storage duration or conditions rather than the critical safety reminder that the BUD provides.