Over-the-counter (OTC) medication has changed over the years. You’ve probably noticed that pharmacy shelves are more crowded and that it’s no longer a matter of deciding on a mere one or two choices. Add any existing medication (OTC or prescription) you’re taking and, wham, your quick trip just got a lot more complicated.

10 steps to buying smart

Before you buy any OTC medication, stick to the following steps to ensure your health and safety are protected:

1. Speak to your pharmacist if you don’t know what to buy, how to use a product or are buying for a child.
2. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you have any existing medical condition (including pregnancy or breastfeeding), even if you’re not taking prescription medication for it. Some OTC meds could cause serious side effects such as a spike in blood pressure.
3. Don’t rely on what an advertisement tells you about the medication. You need to read the label carefully. Even after you’ve bought the product, you may want to keep the packaging if you find the type on the bottle too hard to read.
4. The label will tell you what the medication is intended to be used for (or indications). If you’re not sure a product is your best option, ask your pharmacist.
5. Check the warnings (sometimes labelled as “caution”). Warnings will explain when you shouldn’t take the medication (for example, if you have certain allergies) and when to contact your doctor (if your symptoms don’t go away after a certain number of days or if you develop certain side-effects, such as a fever for instance). This section will also let you know if there are certain activities (such as driving) that should be avoided while taking the medication.
6. Scan the medicinal and non-medicinal ingredients. This is especially important if you have any drug allergies or are sensitive to non-medicinal ingredients that the product may contain. Syrups, for example, may contain natural or artificial flavours to make them tastier.
7. Make sure you understand the dosage instructions. Even though you don’t need a prescription to buy it, OTC medication does contain active ingredients. Before you walk out the pharmacy door, make sure you understand exactly how to take it and when, and use it for the recommended period of time as directed. Don’t hesitate to ask your pharmacist to clarify dosage instructions.
8. Check that the product hasn’t been tampered with. OTC meds come with some type of tamper-proof packaging and may outline these methods on the packaging. Check to ensure what you’re buying hasn’t been tampered with.
9. Follow storage information carefully. How you store OTC products will impact how safe and effective a product will remain until it’s expiry date.
10. Keep a list. For your doctor’s appointment, bring a list of all OTC medications you’re taking and why you’re taking the medication.

Your medicine cabinet clean up guide

OTC medication can easily pile up and clutter your medicine cabinet. To ensure your safety and that of your entire family, use this checklist as your medicine cabinet clean up guide:

• Be prepared to store your medication somewhere else. If your medicine cabinet is in a hot, steamy bathroom, you should move your medication to a cool, dry place. Check the label. If the medication hasn’t been stored properly, toss it out.
• Discard expired OTC meds. Somewhere on the package, bottle, label or blister pack, you’ll find an expiry date. If that date has passed, ask your pharmacist about the proper way to dispose of it.
• Check the look of the product. If the medication looks discoloured or worn, ask your pharmacist for information of how to dispose of it properly, even if it hasn’t expired yet.
• Ensure correct product placement. If your child has figured out how to climb their way to the medicine cabinet, move medication to a safer spot.
• Is the product easily identifiable? Sometimes we throw out packaging in order to save coveted cabinet space. If you’ve got a series of blister packs or bottles that aren’t easy to decipher from one another, re-label them but don’t conceal any important information such as dosage instructions or expiry date.
• Keep likes together. Think about using small baskets or storage boxes (without the lids) to clump like medication with each other. For example, a box clearly labelled “Kid’s Cough and Cold” will make searching for the right relief that much easier.