Via practica 4/2007

OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUGS IN PHARMACOTHERAPY

An increased responsibility of the patients for own health and a tendency of the enlargement of over-the-counter drugs (OTC) becomes at present time as inseparable component of the therapeutic policy that can save expenses of the society on the health care. Author of the paper analyses the criterions for use of drugs in the conditions of the self-medication – therapeutic activity, security, appropriate judgment of the illness by patient himself, the knowledgeableness of the patients as well as knowledge of the subsequence of the improper using. She characterizes the most important sources of information about OTC drugs as well as the strategy of their sale. She analyses new trends of their using in the self-medication not only for mild, but for more severe health failures, too. There is a debatable question of the objective considering the health state by a patient as well as the suitable choice of the drugs with all subsequence. The population has to understand the place of OTC drugs as an efficient and safe means of treatment, requiring the education of patients in this field. Healthcare workers – physicians and pharmacists have an important role here.

Keywords: over-the-counter drugs, pharmacotherapy, self-medication.