Advertising: Over-the-counter drugs

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines such as cough medicine and painkillers that people can literally buy over the counter in diverse kinds of retail shops. With increasingly aging and health-conscious populations, the advertising of these drugs is a huge industry where advertising practices are importantly shaped by the status of these drugs as “in-between” prescription drugs and regular consumer products. A significant share of the advertisements thereby promotes the – illicit – sales of stronger drugs, especially over the Internet. Concerns typically voiced over OTC drug advertising practices are that the ads tend to contain unverified or exaggerated appeals about the drugs' positive effects, while often omitting or downplaying information about potential risks and side effects. Alternative views, however, place more emphasis on the contribution of OTC drug advertising to the containment of public health spending, and to the empowerment of citizen groups that face barriers in access to professional care.