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Guide to Over the Counter Medications

Over the counter medications include any type of non-prescription medication that consumer can obtain from a pharmacy, convenience store or other medical supply retailer. Because OTC medications do not require a prescription from a doctor, they are widely used by consumers to treat a number of common conditions, specifically pain symptoms, cold, flu and allergies. OTC medications can result in serious side effects, however, which can be avoided by knowing some basic information.

  1. FDA Approval

    • Both prescription and non-prescription medication is tested and approved by the FDA, so you can check medicine labels or contact the FDA for information on whether or not a drug has been approved. Because there are over 30,000 different OTC medications according to the FDA, the approval process for over the counter medications groups similar medications together, unlike the approval process for prescription drugs, which addresses each drug separately. The FDA then publishes monographs, which are lengthy evaluation documents, giving the ingredients and drug facts for all of the OTC medications in that category. Because OTC medications are approved in this way, any variety of an already-approved non-prescription medication is automatically FDA approved.

    Drug Names

    • Most OTC medications have multiple brand names that market the same drug; for instance, Alka-Seltzer, Excedrin and Bayer Aspirin are all brands of aspirin, so they contain the same active ingredient and the same basic drug facts. Generic versions of over-the-counter medications may use as their name the chemical compound that serves as the active ingredient in the medication; for instance, acetylsalicylic acid is the active ingredient in aspirin. All OTC medications list their active ingredient first on the list of drug facts presented on the label, so by comparing active ingredients you can determine if two brands are the same drug. Inactive ingredients are also listed on the label, but are not crucial to the function of the drug. Inactive ingredients may contribute to the drug's color or flavor, but not usually its effect.

    Precautions

    • OTC medications, just like prescription medications, have many possible side effects. A full list of side effects for individual drugs is available from the National Institutes of Health MedlinePlus service. Drug manufacturers are also required to publish warnings on the bottle, which give a basic overview of the most serious side effects for some or all users.

    Using as Directed

    • Even though they don't require a prescription, OTC medications affect the body and you should consult your physician before beginning a routine treatment with over the counter medications, as well as before adding non-prescription medication to a treatment plan that already includes prescription medications. OTC medications may alter the effectiveness of other drugs or combine with other drugs to create serious side effects. Always follow the directions for dosage printed on the product label for OTC medications, which may be different for children and adults, and use non-prescription medication only for the uses described on the label. The only exception to following the product label directions is if your doctor has directed you to use over the counter medications for alternative uses or in a different dosage than the label describes.

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