Over the counter medicines
Over the counter medicines
Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are drugs you can buy without a prescription compared to prescription drugs, which may only be sold to consumers with a prescription. Some OTC medicines relieve aches, pains and itches. Some prevent or cure diseases, like tooth decay and athlete's foot. Others help manage recurring problems, like migraines.
When it comes to treating such common ailments as coughs and colds, fever, heartburn, and aches and pains, people are using more types of non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines than ever before. Once consisting of a relatively small number of medications, OTC medicines now account for the majority of all medications used, including many that were once available only by prescription. There are more than 100,000 OTC products on the market today, and the market is worth £500million-plus a year and is growing every year.
Some of the most common examples of OTC drugs are pain relievers, antihistamines, cough medicines. Pain relievers are medicines used to treat pain caused by any number of conditions. They can be used to treat headaches, joint pain, muscle cramps or minor injuries. Some examples of OTC painkillers are Anacin Tylenol and Excedrin. Generic versions of these brand-name medications can also be found. Some generic examples include aspirin, ibuprofen, and ketoprofen. Antihistamines are medications used to treat or prevent the symptoms of allergies. OTC antihistamines can be divided into two types: first and second generation. Some examples of first-generation antihistamines are Dimetapp, Benadryl. Second-generation examples include Claritin and Zyrtec. While both types can be used to treat allergies, first-generation antihistamines can also be used to treat colds. Both types can be mixed with other medications, such as painkillers, to treat several symptoms at once. OTC cough medicines are split into two separate categories: antitussives and expectorants. Antitussives function as
Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are drugs you can buy without a prescription compared to prescription drugs, which may only be sold to consumers with a prescription. Some OTC medicines relieve aches, pains and itches. Some prevent or cure diseases, like tooth decay and athlete's foot. Others help manage recurring problems, like migraines.
When it comes to treating such common ailments as coughs and colds, fever, heartburn, and aches and pains, people are using more types of non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines than ever before. Once consisting of a relatively small number of medications, OTC medicines now account for the majority of all medications used, including many that were once available only by prescription. There are more than 100,000 OTC products on the market today, and the market is worth £500million-plus a year and is growing every year.
Some of the most common examples of OTC drugs are pain relievers, antihistamines, cough medicines. Pain relievers are medicines used to treat pain caused by any number of conditions. They can be used to treat headaches, joint pain, muscle cramps or minor injuries. Some examples of OTC painkillers are Anacin Tylenol and Excedrin. Generic versions of these brand-name medications can also be found. Some generic examples include aspirin, ibuprofen, and ketoprofen. Antihistamines are medications used to treat or prevent the symptoms of allergies. OTC antihistamines can be divided into two types: first and second generation. Some examples of first-generation antihistamines are Dimetapp, Benadryl. Second-generation examples include Claritin and Zyrtec. While both types can be used to treat allergies, first-generation antihistamines can also be used to treat colds. Both types can be mixed with other medications, such as painkillers, to treat several symptoms at once. OTC cough medicines are split into two separate categories: antitussives and expectorants. Antitussives function as