Beyond-use dates: the expiry rule multi-month plans don't advertise
Compounded sterile preparations carry a beyond-use date (BUD) — the date after which the preparation should not be used — which is typically much shorter than a manufactured drug's expiration date and can be shortened further once a vial is opened. That matters for multi-month plans: a prepaid six- or twelve-month program is only as useful as the BUDs on the vials actually shipped, so confirm shipment cadence and per-vial BUD coverage before prepaying.
BUD versus expiration date
An expiration date on a manufactured drug reflects extensive stability testing of that exact product. A BUD on a compounded preparation is assigned by the pharmacy under compounding standards and is generally far shorter. Refrigeration requirements, in-use (opened-vial) windows, and pharmacy-specific instructions all come from the dispensing pharmacy's label — follow that label over anything a provider's marketing or this website says.
Questions to ask before accepting a long-duration supply
Does the plan ship monthly, or several vials at once? What BUD will each vial carry on arrival, and does it cover the period that vial is meant to serve? What happens if a vial's BUD lapses before its treatment window — replacement, refund, or loss? A long plan does not mean one vial should stretch across the term; it means the shipment schedule and BUDs need to line up, and the time to check is before payment. Commitment mechanics are covered in commitment versus shipment cadence.