Your Refill Has Expired

... It's passed on. It has ceased to be. It is no more. It is bereft of life.

Death Of Prescriptions: I would like to have my prescription refilled. 

CP: Certainly. What is the number? 

DOP: 666

CP: Prophetic. Unfortunately, it appears there are no refills. 

DOP: But it says I have 6 more on the bottle. 

CP: Allow me to search further ... ah. Here it is. This prescription was written last year on 5/1/16. Since prescriptions are only valid for 1 year from the date they were written, this expired on 4/30/17. 

DOP: But it says I have 6 refills on the bottle. 

CP: Keep reading. 

DOP: ... until 4/30/17. What does that mean? I need this. 

CP: Do you have your wallet handy? 

DOP: Of course. 

CP: Do me a favour. Grab your driver's licence. 

DOP: Ok. I fail to see what this has to do with my prescription. 

CP: Somewhere on there is an expiration date. Have you found it? 

DOP: Yes. It expires on my birthday in 2018. 

CP: Good. Now imagine that your prescription is your licence, or vice versa. In 2019, your licence will still look the same. Your picture doesn't just disappear on the expiration date, thereby rendering it invalid. In much the same way, refills don't just vanish from your bottle once the expiration date passes. You may need to drive, but you still must visit the BMV every 4 years for a renewal. For prescriptions you must visit or, at least in some way, contact your prescribers to let them know you are still alive and requiring medication. 

DOP: But ...

CP: Let your licence lapse. Get pulled over. Argue with the officer that nothing has changed, your weight, height, address, picture, etc and see how quickly she lets you go. I'd be willing to bet she'd apologise for inconveniencing you. 

DOP: You're ...

CP: ... an ass. I know. Get over it. Here's one more for you. Take all of your bottles and "will" them to your children and phuture grandchildren or put them in a time capsule to be opened after your untimely demise. Even though the bottles will still indicate a number of refills on the bottle, they will not be valid. Unfortunately, we do not possess the magic required to remove words from bottles once they have left our possession.