About Prescription Drug Information

A prescription drug is one whose use is controlled by law and requires a doctor's order to be obtained. Whereas over-the-counter (OTC) drugs can be obtained without a prescription. The laws on prescription drugs depend on the legal area.

United States Prescription Drug Laws

• Old-Fashioned Note for Drug Prescriptions, to Be Issued by Authorized Medical Personnel.

  In the United States, the definition of a prescription drug is established by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which was originally passed in 1938 but has been amended many times. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for upholding the Act and ensuring the safety of food, drugs and cosmetics. In the United States, prescriptions must be issued by specific authorities, such as medical practitioners, dentists, optometrists and others; other health-care workers, such as nurses, psychologists and social workers, do not have the authority to prescribe medication.

Time Frame

• Expiration Dates often Underestimate the Useful Shelf Life of Some Prescriptions.

  The expiration date is often one of the required pieces of information on the prescription label. The expiration date specifies the date up to which the drug manufacturer can guarantee the full potency and safety of the drug. However, many drugs are probably good past their expiration dates. A study by Lyon et al., suggests that 90 percent of prescription drugs are good past their expiration dates, with the average extension about 5.5 years.

OTC Versus Prescription

• Ibuprofen Is Available as an OTC Drug in Lower Dosages; Higher Dosages Require Prescription.

  What makes something an over-the-counter (OTC) drug versus a prescription drug may not be immediately clear, as this distinction ultimate rests with the specificities of the law in the specific jurisdiction. However, generally speaking, OTC drugs are used to treat conditions not necessarily requiring the opinion of a health-care professional, and are drugs that have been repeatedly tested and shown to meet safety standards for self-medication. In some cases, only lower-strength dosages of certain medicines might be OTC drugs, while higher doses require a prescription (such as ibuprofen).

On-Brand Versus Generic

• Lipitor's Patent Expires in March 2010; Lipitor Ads May Try to Encourage Consumer Loyalty to Lessen the Incoming Loss of Sales from a Generic Drug Offering.

  Prescription drugs can be either on-brand or generic. Because of the high cost of drug development, drugs often initially come to market under the patent of a large drug corporation. These on-brand drugs are offered only by one company at high prices. Once the patent expires, other firms can produce competing medications at lower cost. These generic pills are as safe and effective as on-brand pills and often sell for considerably less than their on-brand counterparts. These generic offerings often are advertised by large U.S. retailers to lure customers into stores.

Prescription Drug Prices in the U.S.

• In Areas Where Drug Prices Are Low, Drugstores Sometimes Cater to Out-of-Towners.

  Prescription prices in the United States are the highest in the world, and concern over high-drug prices is one factor driving the debate over health-care reform. Pharmaceutical companies have been very profitable for the past 15 years, showing consistent growth even during times of economic hardship. The smuggling of prescription medications from low-price countries to high-price countries is becoming more common.