Dear Dr. K: My husband refuses to throw out pills that are past their expiration date. I think this is dangerous. I hope you’ll convince him to clean out his medicine cabinet!

Dear Reader: I understand your concern. But you may be able to cut your husband a little slack about his pills.

Believe it or not, there is relatively little scientific data about outdated medication. As pills get older, it’s fair to ask two questions about them: Do they lose their strength, and do they become toxic or harmful? There is little evidence that outdated medications are toxic or harmful. However, some drugs do lose their potency, or effectiveness, over time. The most notable is nitroglycerin, which should be replaced every six months. The epinephrine in EpiPens also loses its potency past its expiration date.

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