Illinois

but I find that over-the-counter medicines are usually OK for a couple of years after the date.

Right here at my desk, I have some Chiggerex anti-itch cream for use with mosquito bites that has an expiration date of July, 2017, and the last time I used it, it still did the job.

Back in the 1960's, when cars were radically redesigned from year to year, we called that "planned obsolescence". Then, in the 1970's, automakers said to hell with that, and abandoned the strategy. But the pharmaceutical industry loves the concept without even having to re-tool every year.