Who establishes the expiration date of a drug product?

• A. Attending veterinarian
• B. Institutional official
• C. Drug manufacturer
• D. Principal investigator

Answer: (C)

Expiration dating is established by the drug manufacturer after stability testing to determine how long the product remains potent and safe under labeled storage conditions. The manufacturer sets the shelf life and prints the expiration date on the label, and this date guides all use in the facility. The attending veterinarian, principal investigator, and institutional official oversee proper use, compliance, and storage practices, but they do not determine the product’s expiration date. If a drug is compounded in-house, the facility may assign a separate discard date based on its own stability testing, but for a standard commercially manufactured product, the manufacturer’s date is used.