Research has shown that health
care consumers self-treat four
times more health problems
than physicians (Farley, 1997). Sixty
percent to 95% of all illnesses are initially
treated with self-care, including
use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs
(Farley, 1997). Currently, approximately
100,000 OTC drug products
are on the market. The volume of
OTC medication use is on the rise,
thanks in part to the accelerated pace of
switching drugs from prescriptiononly
to non-prescription status. More
than 600 OTC preparations have
ingredients or recommended dosages
available only by prescription 2
decades ago. More than 800 OTC
drugs are promoted as treatment for
the common cold, and the number of
OTC anti-diarrhea products exceeds
100 (Dickey & Arnold, 1997;
Rheinstein, 1997).
Medication interactions may occur
among prescription OTC drugs, alcohol,
and alternate medications. Such
interactions predispose the older adult
to drug-related illnesses, which
account for an estimated 15% to 23%
of admissions, 1% to 5% of office visits,
and 1 of 1,000 deaths annually
(Beard, 1993; Torrible & Hogan, 1997).
This study investigated the extent of
the use of nonprescription drugs
among elderly individuals. The following
are specifically addressed:
● Symptoms treated with OTC medications.
● Categories of OTC medications.
● Frequency of use.
● Source of information on OTC.
● Adverse drug interactions.
● Demographic factors.
● Perceived health.
● Number of chronic diseases.
● Other interventions used concurrently
with OTC medications.