Also called: Non-prescription drugs · OTC medicines
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Over-the-Counter Medicines
Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are drugs you can buy without 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 and allergies.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration decides whether a medicine is safe and effective enough to sell over-the-counter. This allows you to take a more active role in your health care. But you also need to be careful to avoid mistakes. Make sure to follow the instructions on the drug label. If you don't understand the instructions, ask your pharmacist or health care provider.
Also keep in mind that that there are still risks to taking OTC medicines:
- The medicine you are taking could interact with other medicines, supplements, foods, or drinks
- Some medicines are not right for people with certain medical conditions. For example, people with high blood pressure should not take certain decongestants.
- Some people are allergic to certain medicines
- Many medicines are not safe during pregnancy. If you are pregnant, check with your health care provider before taking any medicine.
- Be careful when giving medicines to children. Make sure that you give your child the correct dose. If you are giving your child a liquid medicine, don't use a kitchen spoon. Instead use a measuring spoon or a dosing cup marked in teaspoons.
If you have been taking an OTC medicine but your symptoms don't go away, contact your health care provider. You should not take OTC medicines longer or in higher doses than the label recommends.
Food and Drug Administration
It sits within Drug Therapy.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Over-the-Counter Medicines
96 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Comparing Over the Counter Pain Medicines for Discomfort in Crohn's Disease (AVID-CD)University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Randomized Single Center Study to Evaluate Tolerability, Symptoms, and Visual Functional Outcomes With the Use of OTC Lubricating Eye Drops in Subjects With Dry Eye DiseaseAndover Research Eye Institute
- A SMART Approach to Evaluating the Benefits of Common Prescription and OTC Medications for InsomniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
- Opioid Analgesic Reduction StudyRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
- A Study to Evaluate the Impact of a Magnolia Officinalis Dietary Supplement on Immune Biomarkers in Subjects With PsoriasisSirt3 LLC
- Clinical Validation of an At-Home Flu A/B and COVID-19 Rapid TestCorDx, Inc.
Research already completed
- Actual Use Trial of Tadalafil 5 mgSanofi
- Comparison of Two Over the Counter Intravaginal Devices for the Treatment of Stress Urinary IncontinenceVanderbilt University Medical Center
- Fluoride in Saliva After Use of Fluoride Toothpastes Followed by Fluoride MouthrinsesUniversity of Michigan
- Effects of Commonly Used Medications on Mood and ChoiceJohns Hopkins University
- Covid Flu A/B and RSV 4 in 1 Diagnostic TestiHealth Labs inc
- The Clinical Application of Apple AirPods Pro 2 vs. Hearing AidsUniversity of Arizona
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Medicines in My Home: Information for Adults on Using Over-the-Counter Medicines SafelyFood and Drug Administration
- MedlinePlus: Drugs, Herbs, and SupplementsNational Library of Medicine
- Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medicines DrugFactsNational Institute on Drug Abuse
- Over-the-Counter Medicines: What's Right for You?Food and Drug Administration
Diagnosis and Tests
- Acetaminophen LevelNational Library of Medicine
- Salicylates LevelNational Library of Medicine
Related Issues
- Generic Drugs: Questions and AnswersFood and Drug Administration
- Harmful Interactions: Mixing Alcohol with MedicinesNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- Over-the-Counter Drug Facts LabelFood and Drug Administration
- Use Medicines WiselyFood and Drug Administration
Statistics and Research
- What is Pharmacology?National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Nonprescription Drugs. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Over-the-Counter Medicines, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.