Over The Counter Drugs

Over-the-counter medicine is also known as OTC or nonprescription medicine. All these terms refer to medicine that you can buy without a prescription. They are safe and effective when you follow the directions on the label and as directed by your health care professional.

Over The Counter Drugs

What are examples of over-the-counter drugs?
Popular examples include pain relievers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), cough suppressants such as dextromethorphan (Robitussin), and antihistamines like loratadine (Claritin 24H). These drugs are usually located on shelves in pharmacies, grocery stores, and even in gas stations.

What is the most common OTC drug?
Breathing Easy. The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) reported that the most commonly sold OTC oral products in the US during 2009 were cough/cold and allergy remedies. Over 711 million pack units of this type of OTC medication were sold during 2009 in the US.

Over The Counter Drugs

What over-the-counter drugs get you high?
Dextromethorphan, or DXM, is an active ingredient in cough and cold medications like NyQuil and Robitussin. The primary people who abuse DXM are adolescents looking for an easy way to get high. When taken in its normal recommended doses, the psychoactive effects of DXM are mild.

Over The Counter Drugs

What is an OTC item?
They’re medicines and products that can be used for either a medical condition or for general health and well-being. You can get dual-purpose items as part of your OTC benefit if you use them to treat a specific medical condition and your doctor recommends the product or medicine.

Can you buy antibiotics over the counter?
No, you cannot buy antibiotics over the counter. Your health care provider must write you a prescription to get filled at the pharmacy. Be sure you shop around for the price of your antibiotic, before filling and paying for it.

Over The Counter Drugs

What’s the closest over-the-counter drug to Adderall?
Top 3 Best Natural Alternatives to Adderall [Reviews]
NooCube – Strongest Overall & Editor’s Pick.
Mind Lab Pro – Most Potent.
Qualia Mind – Best for Cognition.

How is an over-the-counter drug different from a prescription drug?
OTC medications are not intended for a specific individual, although depending on the medication, such as creams, eye drops, or nasal sprays, the user may want to be the only consumer of the medication. OTC drugs are monitored by the FDA, but it is not as strict as the process prescription drugs must go through.

Is prescription better than over-the-counter?
Rx drugs can only be obtained through a prescription from a physician or other licensed medical professionals, such as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant. These medications are typically stronger than OTC drugs, and can only be used by the intended person to treat a specific medical diagnosis.

Over The Counter Drugs

What is a drug that can be purchased legally only when ordered by a doctor?
A prescription drug (also prescription medication or prescription medicine) is a pharmaceutical drug that legally requires a medical prescription to be dispensed. In contrast, over-the-counter drugs can be obtained without a prescription.

Who has the cheapest over-the-counter drugs?
The 12 Cheapest Places to Buy Generic Drugs
HealthWarehouse.com.
Costco.
Independent pharmacies.
Sam’s Club.
Walmart.
Kmart.
Grocery stores.
Walgreens.

Over The Counter Drugs

Store Medicines Safely

Where you store your medicine can affect how well it works. Learn about storing your medicine properly to keep it from getting damaged.

Take care of your medicine.

• Know that heat, air, light, and moisture may damage your medicine.
• Store your medicines in a cool, dry place. For example, store it in your dresser drawer or a kitchen cabinet away from the stove, sink, and any hot appliances. You can also store medicine in a storage box, on a shelf, in a closet.
• If you are like most people, you probably store your medicine in a bathroom cabinet. But the heat and moisture from your shower, bath, and sink may damage your medicine. Your medicines can become less potent, or they may go bad before the expiration date.
• Pills and capsules are easily damaged by heat and moisture. Aspirin pills break down into vinegar and salicylic acid. This irritates the stomach.
• Always keep medicine in its original container.
• Take the cotton ball out of the medicine bottle. The cotton ball pulls moisture into the bottle.
• Ask your pharmacist about any specific storage instructions.

Keep children safe.

• Always store your medicine out of reach and out of sight of children.
• Store your medicine in a cabinet with a child latch or lock.

Over The Counter Drugs