How much money do you waste on expired medicines?

How does this calculator work?

The calculator estimates how much money you lose every year on medicines that expire in your home cabinet before you manage to use them. The estimate is based on three inputs: the number of medicine packages you keep at home, the average price of a single package, and how often you check expiry dates. The less often you review your cabinet, the larger the share of medicines that ends up in the bin — with no checks at all it can be as much as one package in four.

How to use the calculator?

First, count or estimate how many medicine packages are in your cabinet — tablets, syrups, ointments and drops. A typical household keeps dozens of packages, some of which are never even opened. Then enter the average package price: a typical over-the-counter medicine costs 15–35 PLN. Finally, choose how often you check expiry dates — from "never" to "every month". The result shows your estimated annual and monthly losses, together with comparisons that help you picture the scale of the waste.

What to do with expired medicines?

Expired medicines must not go into regular household waste or down the toilet, because their active substances end up in the environment and groundwater. Return them to a pharmacy — most pharmacies in Poland have dedicated containers for expired medicines. Reviewing your cabinet once a quarter and keeping track of expiry dates can cut your losses to almost zero. An app that tracks expiry dates for you and reminds you before a medicine expires makes this even easier.

This calculator is for information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with a doctor or pharmacist. Results are estimates meant solely to illustrate the scale of the problem — consult a pharmacist about using or disposing of any medicine.