>A news report I heard this morning got me thinking. The CDC gentleman stated that the U.S. has been stockpiling it and other meds in case of a pandemic for the past 5 years. Shouldn't all those stockpiled meds have passed their expiration date by now?

Two thoughts. First, expiration dates on many meds are pretty arbitrary. Though some really lose potency in the specified time frame, many don't, and for many others, it's more of a "best if used by" situation.

Second, "stockpiling" may mean collecting and rotating. That is, keep getting new, but put the oldest into circulation.

Tamar