How does medication expire and what makes them potentially “dangerous”?
In:
Only medication that has a hard expiration date is biologically derived. Hormones, enzymes, antibodies, etc. The vast majority of medication only has marginal losses in effectiveness and can be ingested safely. The potential danger comes not from the pharmaceuticals becoming toxic (with the exception of tetracycline which is not used in the US), but rather from using an ineffective drug for a life threatening condition like diabetes or atrial fibrillation which could result in death—especially in elderly patients that live on their own. It’s safe to say that you can go to town on any over the counter medication regardless of the expiration date. At worst it’s placebo.
Edit: clarification
Most medication really doesn’t expire. After awhile it can be less effective.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/drug-expiration-dates-do-they-mean-anything
But some drugs like insulin and liquids can break down and be dangerous to use if not stored properly
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