Americans are too reliant on over-the-counter (OTCs) medications for treating everyday health problems, according to a new national survey conducted by Prevention magazine and the American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA). While self-medicating is an overall safe and healthy option, a third of all adults (33%) admit they have taken more than the recommended OTC dosage for their condition. And even more revealing, more than a third (35%) surveyed think it is likely that their self-treatment could hide symptoms of a more serious problem requiring a doctor's attention.
The survey, "Navigating the Medication Marketplace: How Consumers Choose," suggests that Americans seek information about how to choose and use medications. Findings include:
- Americans have an extremely high tendency to self-treat before consulting a physician when suffering from common ills like headaches (80%), upset stomachs (76%), coughs/colds (73%) and fevers (71%).
- For OTC products, American rely on the product label (80%), physicians (75%) and pharmacists (70%).
- Despite their reliance on the label, more than 30% of consumers think that labeling is incomplete for symptom indications, side effects and medical warnings. (APhA, 202/429-7537)