Can you take expired Trulicity? No—expired Trulicity (dulaglutide) should never be used. The expiry date guarantees the medication's full potency and safety, and using it beyond this date may result in reduced effectiveness, compromising your blood glucose control. As a biological GLP-1 receptor agonist used to manage type 2 diabetes, Trulicity is particularly susceptible to degradation over time. The MHRA advises against using any medication past its expiry date. If you've discovered your Trulicity has expired, contact your GP surgery immediately for a new prescription, dispose of the expired pen safely at your local pharmacy, and continue monitoring your blood glucose levels closely.

Can You Take Expired Trulicity? Safety and Effectiveness

Trulicity (dulaglutide) should not be used after its expiry date. The expiry date printed on the pen represents the last day the manufacturer guarantees the medication's full potency and safety. Using expired Trulicity may result in reduced effectiveness, meaning your blood glucose levels may not be adequately controlled, potentially leading to hyperglycaemia and associated complications.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) advises against using any medication beyond its expiry date. Whilst expired Trulicity is unlikely to become toxic or cause immediate harm, there is no guarantee that the active ingredient (dulaglutide) retains its therapeutic properties. As a biological medication—a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist—Trulicity is particularly susceptible to degradation over time, especially if storage conditions have been suboptimal.

Key considerations include:

• The medication may have reduced potency, compromising diabetes management

• Chemical breakdown may alter the formulation

• Using medication beyond its expiry date is outside the licensed use

• The manufacturer cannot guarantee effectiveness after this date

If you have used expired Trulicity, monitor your blood glucose levels closely and contact your GP or diabetes specialist nurse for guidance. They may recommend additional monitoring or an earlier review. Seek urgent medical help via NHS 111, your GP or call 999 if you develop severe hyperglycaemia (persistently above 15 mmol/L), feel very unwell, experience excessive thirst, frequent urination, dehydration, vomiting, drowsiness or confusion.

Never compromise your diabetes management by using expired medication—proper glycaemic control is essential to prevent both acute and long-term complications of type 2 diabetes.

How Trulicity Expiry Dates Are Determined

Pharmaceutical expiry dates are established through rigorous stability testing conducted during the drug development process. For Trulicity, the manufacturer (Eli Lilly) performs extensive studies under controlled conditions to determine how long the medication maintains its potency, purity, and safety profile. These studies comply with International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines and are reviewed by regulatory bodies including the MHRA and European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The stability testing process generally involves:

• Real-time stability studies at recommended storage temperatures (2°C to 8°C for unopened Trulicity)

• Accelerated stability testing under stress conditions

• Analysis of the active pharmaceutical ingredient concentration over time

• Assessment of degradation products and impurities

• Evaluation of physical properties, including appearance and pH

• Microbiological testing to ensure product quality is maintained

For Trulicity, the shelf life is as printed on the packaging and detailed in the UK Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC). Unopened pens must be stored in a refrigerator (2°C to 8°C). Once removed from refrigeration, the pen may be kept at temperatures up to 30°C for a maximum of 14 days. These timeframes represent the period during which the manufacturer guarantees optimal therapeutic effect.

Biological medications like dulaglutide are protein-based and more vulnerable to environmental factors than traditional small-molecule drugs. Temperature fluctuations, light exposure, and time all contribute to gradual degradation of the peptide structure, which is why adherence to both expiry dates and storage instructions is crucial for maintaining clinical efficacy.

Risks of Using Trulicity After Its Expiry Date

The primary risk of using expired Trulicity is reduced therapeutic effectiveness, which can lead to inadequate glycaemic control. When dulaglutide degrades, its ability to activate GLP-1 receptors diminishes, resulting in less insulin secretion, reduced suppression of glucagon, and decreased slowing of gastric emptying—the key mechanisms by which Trulicity helps manage type 2 diabetes.

Poor diabetes control from ineffective medication can lead to:

• Persistent hyperglycaemia with symptoms including increased thirst, frequent urination, and fatigue

• Elevated HbA1c levels, increasing the risk of microvascular complications (retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy)

• Greater likelihood of macrovascular complications (cardiovascular disease, stroke)

• Risk of hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state (HHS) in some individuals with type 2 diabetes

Additional concerns include the theoretical risk of increased impurities or degradation products, although there is no official link between expired Trulicity and specific toxic effects.

If you experience unexpected symptoms or poor glucose control after using expired Trulicity, contact your GP promptly. They may need to adjust your diabetes management plan, increase monitoring frequency, or consider alternative treatments to restore optimal glycaemic control.

Seek urgent medical attention via NHS 111 or your GP if you develop persistent high blood glucose levels (above 15 mmol/L), severe thirst, frequent urination, or feel very unwell. Call 999 if you experience extreme drowsiness, confusion, or difficulty breathing, as these could indicate a serious hyperglycaemic emergency.

If you experience any suspected side effects from Trulicity (expired or not), you can report them through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme at yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk or via the Yellow Card app.

What to Do If Your Trulicity Has Expired

If you discover your Trulicity has expired, do not use it. Instead, take the following steps to ensure continuity of your diabetes care:

Immediate actions:

• Check all your Trulicity pens for expiry dates—you may have unexpired stock

• Do not attempt to use the expired medication, even if it appears normal

• Continue monitoring your blood glucose levels as usual

• Contact your GP surgery or diabetes clinic as soon as possible to request a new prescription

Disposal of expired Trulicity should follow proper pharmaceutical waste guidelines. Return expired pens to your local community pharmacy for safe disposal via NHS medicines return schemes. Never dispose of Trulicity in household waste or down the drain, as this poses environmental risks.

If you have missed doses due to expired medication, inform your healthcare provider. They will assess whether any additional monitoring or temporary adjustments to your diabetes management plan are needed. Depending on how long you've been without effective medication, they may recommend checking your HbA1c sooner than scheduled.

Preventing future expiry issues:

• Request prescriptions with sufficient lead time before your current supply expires

• Check expiry dates when collecting medication from the pharmacy

• Store Trulicity properly to maximise shelf life

• Use a medication tracking system or calendar reminders

• Consider setting up a repeat prescription service through your GP surgery or pharmacy

If you're struggling to obtain timely prescriptions due to appointment availability or prescription processing delays, speak with your GP practice manager or diabetes specialist nurse. They can often facilitate urgent prescriptions or arrange alternative collection methods to prevent gaps in your treatment.

Proper Storage to Maintain Trulicity Effectiveness

Correct storage is essential to ensure Trulicity remains effective until its expiry date. Improper storage can cause premature degradation, rendering the medication less effective even before the printed expiry date.

Storage guidelines for unopened Trulicity pens:

• Store in a refrigerator at 2°C to 8°C (not in the freezer compartment)

• Keep in the original carton to protect from light

• Store away from the freezer element—freezing destroys Trulicity

• Do not store in the refrigerator door, where temperature fluctuations are greatest

• Keep out of reach of children

Once removed from refrigeration, an unopened Trulicity pen may be stored at room temperature (up to 30°C) for a maximum of 14 days. This is particularly useful when travelling. However, the pen must still be protected from direct sunlight and heat sources. Do not return the pen to the refrigerator after it has been kept at room temperature.

Important: Each Trulicity pen is for single use only. Use immediately after removing the base cap, administer the injection, and then dispose of the entire pen safely in a sharps bin as advised by your healthcare professional.

Signs that Trulicity may have been compromised:

• The solution appears cloudy, discoloured, or contains particles (it should be clear and colourless)

• The pen has been frozen (even if subsequently thawed)

• The pen has been exposed to temperatures above 30°C for extended periods

• The pen has been stored in direct sunlight

If you suspect your Trulicity has been stored improperly, do not use it. Return it to your pharmacy and request a replacement through your GP. When travelling, consider using an insulated medication travel case with cooling elements to maintain appropriate temperatures, particularly during summer months or when visiting warmer climates. Always check storage conditions if staying in hotels or other accommodation where refrigeration may be unreliable.

Frequently Asked Questions