Health
Study finds OTC meds can bring relief, and savings
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Nov. 15, 2004
The use of nonprescription, over-the-counter medications to treat common upper respiratory infections could save $4.75 billion a year by reducing days lost from work and unnecessary physician visits, according to a new study presented Oct. 26 at a meeting in Beijing of the World Self-Medication Industry.
This study suggests that when adults use OTC medications to treat their symptoms, there is a symptom benefit.
There also appears to be a cost savings for the health care system, said study leader Martin Lipsky, MD, professor of family medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
The study was sponsored by the Consumer Healthcare Products Assn., a membership group that represents the manufacturers and distributors of OTC medicines.
Researchers compared the results of using OTC medications to treat upper respiratory infections with no treatment.
They determined that there was an average cost savings of $9 per episode among adults using OTC medicines. They also calculated that the average 18- to 65-year-old experiences three such infections per year.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/11/15/hlbf1115.htm.
