Question

1. A nurse is caring for a patient taking three over-the-counter medications for pain and insomnia. The primary care provider has prescribed a generic drug for the patient for asthma. The patient requests information from the nurse about over-the-counter medications and the difference between generic and brand-name drugs.

Although over-the-counter drugs have been found to be safe when taken as directed, what should the nurse consider telling the patient about problems related to over-the-counter drugs?

Answer 1

Over-the-counter drugs are the medications sold by the pharmacies directly to consumers without a prescription from health care providers. Over-the-counter drugs are very much important in some cases like - It helps to prevent unnecessary visits to hospitals or to health care providers for a small reason.

There are some potential problems with these drugs that patients should know while using these drugs.

1. Some over-the-counter drugs can interfere with the absorption and effect of current medication.

2. Some OTC medication can also interact with other drugs and can cause adverse effects, so if you have to use any over-the-counter drugs then first consult with your physician.

3. Some times patients are overestimating and misusing over-the-counter drugs, as an example taking Analgesics to treat fever. So always consult with physician if you are suffering in a condition.

4. Sometimes the patients are underestimating the condition or disease by using an over-the-counter drugs, for example a patient taking analgesics for long time for a pain that related to some internal disease. So do not take OTC to avoid any sign for a long period of time.