Over-the-counter (OTC) medications can offer significant savings, but they also come with concerns that must be addressed to ensure patient safety. To that end, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has announced that it will review late-breaking developments regarding OTC analgesic safety in a webinar accessible to the medical community on Feb. 16 from 8 to 9 p.m. CST.
Dr. Ada Stewart, of the Eau Claire Cooperative Health Centers in Columbia, South Carolina, will present the webinar. She told AAFP News that consumers are often under the false impression that non-prescription medications are risk-free, and they need to understand that ingesting multiple medications, even if some are OTC, can be dangerous.
The webinar is particularly timely, as many drugs that were formerly available only by prescription are filling shelves as OTC products.
Stewart emphasized the need for patient education regarding analgesics and the potential perils of combining two or more products that duplicate ingredients. Additionally, she cited children and the elderly as being most at risk for poor combination choices in medication and stressed the need for careful recordkeeping.
"Patients should bring all of their medications to doctor visits to allow correct documentation and updating of medical records, and recognize that although OTC drugs are purchased without prescriptions, they can pose a potential for harm if not taken correctly," she said.
Registration for the webinar may be made at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4965551021784296194
