Yes. Every vial is labeled with an expiration date set by the manufacturer from stability studies, usually two to three years after manufacture. Past that date the preservative content and the sterility of the sealed vial are no longer guaranteed, and the vial should be discarded even if it looks fine.
Two different clocks
- Sealed vial: good until the printed expiration date, provided it has been stored at 20 to 25 °C, never frozen, and kept away from light and heat.
- Opened vial: the printed date no longer applies. The laboratory convention is to discard 28 days after first puncture, regardless of what remains.
What can shorten either
Freezing, prolonged heat, light exposure and a damaged seal all take a vial outside the conditions the expiration date assumes. Cloudiness, color, particles or an almond odor mean a vial is discarded whatever the date. See how long bacteriostatic water lasts, can it go bad and how expiration dates are set.
All BAC Water Supply products are supplied for laboratory research use only and are not for human or veterinary use.