You are here: Home Managing Your ... Drugs 101: ... Over-The-Counter ...
Information about all aspects of finances affected by a serious health condition. Includes income sources such as work, investments, and private and government disability programs, and expenses such as medical bills, and how to deal with financial problems.
Information about all aspects of health care from choosing a doctor and treatment, staying safe in a hospital, to end of life care. Includes how to obtain, choose and maximize health insurance policies.
Answers to your practical questions such as how to travel safely despite your health condition, how to avoid getting infected by a pet, and what to say or not say to an insurance company.

Over-The-Counter Drugs

1/1

Over-the-counter drugs should be treated with the same respect as prescription drugs. They can help, but they can also cause harm.

Over-the-counter drugs are medications which are considered to be safe and effective without the help of a doctor. Many over-the-counter drugs started as prescription drugs.

The FDA determines whether a drug can be available to the public over-the-counter instead of by prescription by considering:

  • Can people self-diagnose the problem?
  • Can people figure out the appropriate treatment and how to use the drug?
  • Is there substantial risk for abuse or addiction.

When choosing an over-the-counter drug: According to Consumer Reports On Health:

  • Look at active ingredients, not brand names.
  • Do not take more than one drug with the same active ingredient.
  • Avoid multisymptom remedies
  • Check for warnings and side effects
  • Stick to recommended doses
  • Check expiration dates.
  • We add: Check with your doctor or pharmacist to be sure it does not interfere with any of the other drugs you are taking.

Before taking an over-the-counter drug

Check with your doctor or other health care provider, or at least with a pharmacist: 

  • Remind him or her about your health condition in case there is a negative reaction between the drug and the condition(s).
  • Check to be sure there is no negative interaction between the drug you are considering and any drug you take or took recently.
  • If you underwent any treatment recently, remind  your doctor or pharmacist about the treatment in case there are lingering effects that would suggest you not take the drug.
  • Learn about the drug so you can use it and store it correctly. To find information about  over-the-counter drugs, use the same process as with prescription drugs. To learn how, click here.

Think about the cost. Over-the-counter drugs are generally not covered by health insurance.

NOTE: Consider purchasing single-ingredient instead of multiple ingredient over-the-counter drugs. Single ingredient drugs may be less expensive on your pocketbook and easier on your body.

Paying For Over-The-Counter Drugs

  • Over-the-counter drugs are generally not covered by insurance.
  • Check with your pharmacist or health care provider to see if there are less expensive generic alternatives among over-the-counter drugs.
  • If you have drug coverage, consider a prescription medicine. Although a prescribed medicine may be more expensive, it may be less expensive even if you pay a co-pay to use a prescribed medicine covered by your insurance. At least discuss with your doctor whether there is a medication which requires a prescription which does the same thing (and is on your company's formulary if there is one).

Once you decide to take an over-the-counter drug

  • Inform both your doctor or other health care provider and your pharmacist. 
    • Your doctor or other health care provider should know about all drugs you take
    • If you also inform your pharmacist, he or she can alert you if there is a recall (in addition to tracking your medications and preventing negative interactions).
  • Follow the directions on the label. 
    • Do not discontinue a drug before the date stated on the label. 
    • Do not use a drug longer than the directions indicate.
  • Measure liquid drugs exactly.  
    • Do not "swig" an over the counter liquid from the bottle instead of measuring the exact dosage. 
    • Do not take more of the product than noted in the label instructions.
  • Store the product as noted on the label.
  • If you hear about a recall of the drug, check to find out if you are taking one of the batch that is recalled. You can check the following resources:
  • Consider signing up for e-mail alerts about drug recalls at www.recalls.gov offsite link
  • Keep your doctor and pharmacist up-to-date on all the over-the-counter drugs and supplements you take, as well as your continuing symptoms.

NOTE: Pharmaceutical chains have many rebate programs on many types of products including over-the-counter drugs. You can usually sign up on a pharmacy's web site. For instance, see: CVS: www.cvs.com offsite link,  Rite-Aid: www.RiteAid.com offsite link,  Walgreens: www.Walgreens.com offsite link

To Learn More

More Information

Drugs Doctors

Please share how this information is useful to you. 0 Comments

 

Post a Comment Have something to add to this topic? Contact Us.

Characters remaining:

  • Allowed markup: <a> <i> <b> <em> <u> <s> <strong> <code> <pre> <p>
    All other tags will be stripped.