Health Library

OTC products provide ACCESS 24/7 to conveniently available health care options for busy families and caregivers.
81 percent of U.S. adults use OTC products as a first response to minor ailments.
The availability of OTC products—without a prescription—provides symptomatic relief for an estimated 60 million people who otherwise would not seek treatment.
Without affordable and accessible OTC products, underserved populations would depend more heavily on the higher cost medical care for minor ailments.
- One in four Medicaid patients and one in 10 uninsured individuals would seek treatment in an Emergency Room as their first recourse for treatment.
U.S. consumers make 26 trips a year to purchase OTC products. They only visit doctors, on average, three times a year.

OTC products provide AFFORDABLE treatment options for both consumers and the U.S. health care system.
The availability of OTC products creates significant value for the U.S. health care system:

$77 billion in clinical cost savings (avoided doctor’s office visits and diagnostic testing); and
$25 billion in drug cost savings (lower priced OTC products versus higher priced prescription medicines).

86 percent of U.S. adults believe responsible OTC products use helps lower health care costs for people like them.
For every dollar spent on OTC products, the U.S. health care system saves $6 to $7.

96 percent of U.S. adults believe OTC products make it easy for individuals to care for minor medical ailments.
93 perecent of U.S. adults prefer to treat their minor ailments with OTC products before seeking professional care.
85 percent of U.S. parents prefer to treat their children’s minor ailments with an OTC products before seeking professional care.
70-90 percent of all illness episodes are addressed with self-treatment.

OTC products are a TRUSTED first-line of defense for health care providers and consumers alike.
For a range of illnesses, 8 in 10 consumers use OTC products to relieve their symptoms without having to see a health care professional.
92 percent of physicians believe OTC products are effective, and 91 percent believe these products are safe.
87 percent of physicians believe OTC products are an important part of overall health care.
89 percent of consumers believe OTC products are an important part of their overall family health care.