English

Abstract

Self-care with over-the-counter (OTC) medicines have evolved from the “dark ages” of patent medicine manufacture and sale to a modem era of new drug development involving prescription-to-OTC switch. This evolution is largely due to the OTC review, which placed science at the cornerstone of safety, effectiveness, and labelling of non-prescription medicines. As selfcare with OTC drugs has evolved, the switching of drugs from prescription to non-prescription status has produced important benefits, creating more self-reliant consumers through novel self-care therapeutics, significant cost savings to the health care system, expanded markets for companies, enhanced science for regulatory decisions, a more consumer friendly label for all OTC agents, and a more consistent and predictable drug approval process. OTC drugs also known as Non-Prescription drugs are those medications which can be obtained without a Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) and can be easily purchased in pharmacies, grocery stores, and convenience stores. According to American College of Preventive Medicine, they define OTC as “Drugs (Prescription and OTC drugs) are substances intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease”. The present study has been designed to investigate the benefits & risks, various classes and status of OTC medications in India.