Changing the Status of Drugs from Prescription to Over-the-Counter Availability

In the United States, consumers legally have access to drugs by two mechanisms: access with a prescription provided by a licensed health care professional or access without a prescription, by over-the-counter purchase. Many other countries have a similar classification of drugs. In addition, some countries have a third mechanism, by which certain sales without a prescription require consultation with a pharmacist or in which the marketing of certain drugs is limited to venues where such consultation is available. It was estimated that in 2000, consumers in the United States spent approximately $19.1 billion on over-the-counter drugs. 1 In recent years, more . . .