A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Over-the-Counter Medicines
Also called: Non-prescription drugs, OTC 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.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration decides whether a medicine is safe enough to sell over-the-counter. Taking OTC medicines still has risks. Some interact with other medicines, supplements, foods or drinks. Others cause problems for people with certain medical conditions. If you're pregnant, talk to your health care provider before taking any medicines.
It is important to take medicines correctly, and be careful when giving them to children. More medicine does not necessarily mean better. You should never take OTC medicines longer or in higher doses than the label recommends. If your symptoms don't go away, it's a clear signal that it's time to see your healthcare provider.
Food and Drug Administration
-
Start Here
- Be MedWise Quiz(National Council on Patient Information and Education)
- Getting the Most from Your OTC Medicine(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Medicines in My Home: Information for Adults on Using Over-the-Counter Medicines Safely(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
,
Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
.
For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
,
Reference Shelf
, and
For You
.
For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
-
Overviews
- Be MedWise(National Council on Patient Information and Education)
- MedlinePlus: Drug Information - Information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines and supplements
- Also available in Spanish
- Over-the-Counter Medicines: What's Right for You?(Food and Drug Administration)
- Also available in Spanish
- Your Medicine: Be Smart. Be Safe.(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) - PDF
-
Latest News
- Ads Lose Balance When Drugs Become Over-the-Counter(09/11/2012, Reuters Health)
-
Specific Conditions
- Antihistamines: Understanding Your OTC Options(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Best Way to Take Your Over-the-Counter Pain Reliever? Seriously(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
- Also available in Spanish
- Careful: Acetaminophen in Pain Relief Medicines Can Cause Liver Damage(Food and Drug Administration)
- Questions and Answers on Unapproved Chelation Products(Food and Drug Administration)
- Use Caution with Over-the-Counter Creams, Ointments(Food and Drug Administration)
- Also available in Spanish
-
Related Issues
- Checklist for Choosing Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medicine for Adults(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
-
Generic Drugs
(Food and Drug Administration)
- Generic Drugs: Questions and Answers(Food and Drug Administration)
- Also available in Spanish
-
Harmful Interactions: Mixing Alcohol with Medicines(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
- Also available in Spanish
- New Over-the-Counter Medicine Label: Take a Look(Food and Drug Administration)
- OTC Medicines: Know Your Risks, and Reduce Them(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Some Medications and Driving Don't Mix(Food and Drug Administration)
- Use Over-the-Counter Medicines Wisely(National Council on Patient Information and Education) - PDF
- Also available in Spanish
-
Using Medicines Wisely(Food and Drug Administration)
- Also available in Spanish
- What Are Unapproved Drugs and Why Are They on the Market?(Food and Drug Administration)
- Return to top
-
Health Check Tools
- Be MedWise Quiz(National Council on Patient Information and Education)
- Return to top
-
Tutorials
-
Taking Medicines
(National Institute of General Medical Sciences)
- Return to top
-
Taking Medicines
-
Videos
- Expiration Dates Matter(Food and Drug Administration)
- Giving Medicine to Children(Food and Drug Administration) - In English and Spanish
- Also available in Spanish
- Keep Track of Your Medicines(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
- Also available in Spanish
- Over-the-Counter Sleep Medications(Harvard Medical School)
- Reading Medicine Labels(Healthy Roads Media)
- Teaching Kids About Using Medicine Safely(Food and Drug Administration) - In English and Spanish
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
-
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Nonprescription Drugs(National Institutes of Health)
- Return to top
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Nonprescription Drugs
-
Genetics
-
Frequently Asked Questions about Pharmacogenetics(National Institute of General Medical Sciences)
- Return to top
-
Frequently Asked Questions about Pharmacogenetics
-
Research
-
How Medicines Work(National Institute of General Medical Sciences)
- Return to top
-
How Medicines Work
-
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
-
Organizations
-
Statistics
- Misuse of Over-the-Counter Cough and Cold Medications among Persons Aged 12 to 25(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF
- Return to top
-
Teenagers
- Cough and Cold Medicine Abuse(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
-
Women
- OTC Medicines and Pregnancy(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
-
Seniors
-
Taking Medicines(National Institute of General Medical Sciences)
- Return to top
-
Taking Medicines
-
Patient Handouts
- Storing your medicines
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
-
You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Over-the-Counter Medicines - Multiple Languages