When drugs become available over-the-counter

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Increasing numbers of drugs are switching from prescription-only to over-the-counter status.
You may have noticed that some medications that you could previously only get from the doctor are now available over-the-counter (OTC). Researchers from the University School of Medicine, Boston, USA, look at the reasons behind this trend.

Usually a medicine makes the shift from prescription-only to OTC if it is used for a non-chronic condition that's easy to self-diagnose and has low potential for abuse. But the decision to make the cholesterol-lowering drug simvastatin available OTC in Britain doesn't really fit this description - for high cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease.

The Boston team suggests that the switches are motivated by three factors: drug companies want to expand their market, healthcare systems want to cut costs, and the public wants more say in decision-making about their health.

These issues will continue to be discussed, because it's likely that more drugs are going to become OTC. For the patient, this may be a good thing if they use the medications to help themselves prevent or control a chronic disease. But those in need should always be able to get the drugs they need either free or at low cost from their doctor.

Source
British Medical Journal 1st January 2005 Volume 330 pages 39-41