LA Cartridge Storage — ORE Part 1 MCQ
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Correct answer: C — About 18–24 months
The best answer is C. A usual unopened shelf life for proprietary dental local anaesthetic cartridges is approximately 18–24 months, provided they are stored as directed. The decisive practical rule is to check and comply with the manufacturer’s labelled expiry date before use, since shelf life can vary between products and formulations. UK SmPCs for adrenaline-containing local anaesthetic preparations commonly specify a two-year shelf life. Six months is too short for an unopened cartridge, whereas five or ten years are not usual licensed shelf lives for these preparations. Correct storage does not make cartridges usable indefinitely: expired or discoloured cartridges must not be used.
Reference: Electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC), EpiPen Adrenaline (Epinephrine) 0.3 mg Auto-Injector SmPC, section 6.3 Shelf life: 24 months from manufacture; https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/4289/smpc