3 ms·
No it should not be, but not because of the dextromethorphan or the phenylephrine being ineffective. By far the biggest issue is the acetaminophen it contains,
by deaton 3mo ago
No it should not be, but not because of the dextromethorphan or the phenylephrine being ineffective. By far the biggest issue is the acetaminophen it contains, which it isn't super obvious about, and frequently leads to acetaminophen overdoses. The vast majority of acetaminophen overdoses occur because people combined different medicines containing it (like DayQuil and Tylenol) without realizing they were taking the same thing multiple times. Its a completely preventable cause of liver failure and we should not be making cocktails with it that don't clearly show exactly what they are.
- jmalicki 3mo agoAcetaminophen (Tylenol) is probably the OTC drug that is at the top of the list to be made RX-only due to its dangers.
- rustcleaner 3mo agoPlease no. We need to be going the other way on that trend: converting things which won't easily outright kill/maim you (and dare I say, even potentially addictive ones) at normal doses from Rx to OTC! Acetaminophen is one of the few cheap, easy, and working products on the shelf!
- kube-system 3mo agoA concern with OTC drugs is specifically that they won't be taken at normal doses. People confuse brand names and drug names, and don't realize they are taking more than the reccomended amount. This is especially problematic with combination drugs.
- Melatonic 3mo agoDoesn't OTC specifically mean the ones that can't just be on the shelf ? Where you do not need a prescription but a pharmacist still has to be asked to hand it to you "over the counter" ?
- kelnos 3mo agoNo, OTC means a drug available on the shelf, that people can buy without a prescription. It's funny, I never thought about it, but you're right, it does sound backwards.
- kube-system 3mo agoIn the US, OTC means the drugs available on the shelf. The ones you have to ask a pharmacist for are “BTC”: behind the counter. e.g. pseudoephedrine.
- tristor 3mo agoThere are people who don't know that Tylenol and acetaminophen are the same thing. That is not a reason for us to make everyone's quality of life and access to healthcare worse because some people are ignorant. The desire to nanny-state things to the lowest common denominator is ruining everything, and it's a major driver for various problems all the way to the housing crisis and the cost of healthcare in the first place.
- kube-system 3mo agoOTC drugs should be both available and regulated to be sold in such a way to minimize harm to people who use it. Honestly, combination drugs are out of fucking control. Some people don't know Advil is ibuprofin. Some people think all Advil is ibuprofin. Both are wrong! It used to be true that doctors could tell people that it was okay to take [X] brand drug with [Y] brand drug but anymore, there are a half dozen formulations of each in varying combinations on the shelf and half of them have some of the same ingredients. Basically every brand has a "fuck it lets just mix everything together, flu" version on the shelf now.
- tristor 3mo agoI agree that drugs should be regulated, but that regulation should be primarily about ensuring that they are effective, safe when taken as instructed, and that they contain the ingredients they say that they do and don't contain ingredients that aren't listed. It is not the government's responsibility, nor should it be, to try to solve the fact that someone can do something stupid with medication and harm themselves. Medication, by its very nature, interacts with and changes your body: that's the entire point. There is no way for something to be effective and also impossible to abuse or misuse. Regulating drug safety should always be based on following the instructions for how to use that drug. That's not to say we can't do more the educate people, but ignorance should not lead to inaccessibility. There are tens of millions of people in this country that are fully capable of reading a box and following instructions and they should not have to live a worse quality of life because some people are not willing or able to do so.
- 3mo ago
- Melatonic 3mo agoWe can do both - and already do. Ibuprofen is perfectly fine for non prescription. Super dose ibuprofen pills are prescription. And then there's OTC drugs which are sort of in a weird middle area - and where some of these I feel personally might work best. Make them easily accessible to anyone without a prescription but at least a pharmacist has to hand it to you. They are the experts at dosing and what combinations of drugs are safe after all !
- jmalicki 3mo agoTylenol is one of the things on the shelf most likely to kill you from liver failure. It is way more dangerous than many prescription drugs.
- drdexebtjl 3mo agoIt should be replaced with Dipyrone, which is much safer and more effective, but was restricted in the 70s in the US and parts of Europe. In fact, it’s so effective against pain and fever, it keeps doctors from having to resort to prescribing opioids. Countries that haven’t restricted its use do not have nearly the same problem with opioid abuse. It makes me wonder if its continued restriction is motivated by profits off the opioid crisis, rather than patient safety.