Medicine is safe to take for around 5 years or even longer after the expiration date depending on the medicine.
For example aspirin is safe well past 5 years after expiration but it loses it's potency the older it gets.
Fresh medicine is best to take but taking expired medicine won't hurt you but instead it will just not work as good as it should.
Old medicine after expiration loses it's potency but remains safe to take.
While it's best only to use non-expired medications, one study conducted by the U.S. military showed that some medications could retain their potency up to one year after the expiration date has passed.
Certain expired medications are at risk of bacterial growth and sub-potent antibiotics can fail to treat infections, leading to more serious illnesses and antibiotic resistance.
Once the expiration date has passed there is no guarantee that the medicine will be safe and effective.
Still the FDA says the medicines are perfectly safe to take even when they expire but the potency is not as good as it is when fresh.
Fresh non expired medicine is best to take but you won't be harmed taking expired medicine.