I have received a request to do a walkthrough of children’s cough and cold products. (My first request—I’m so excited!) So I thought I would use this post to lay some groundwork by explaining how a pharmacist reads labels on over-the-counter (OTC) medications (contain your excitement).
Firstly, and most importantly, I never base any decisions on the front of a package. Drug companies spend a lot of money on “smoke and mirrors” and plenty of that money is in the packaging. However, the people in charge of such things (the FDA) forced them to put all the important information on the back in black and white, literally. These “Drug Facts” labels make things easy as pie. (Mmmm…pie…)
Firstly, and most importantly, I never base any decisions on the front of a package. Drug companies spend a lot of money on “smoke and mirrors” and plenty of that money is in the packaging. However, the people in charge of such things (the FDA) forced them to put all the important information on the back in black and white, literally. These “Drug Facts” labels make things easy as pie. (Mmmm…pie…)
An example label Active Ingredients- This section is going to list the ingredients that actually work the magic. I love this section for two reasons. First, the ingredients’ concentrations will be in the same format for the generic and branded products so it is easy to make sure they are the same where it matters (For anyone who is wondering—yes, pharmacists love generic products. Save your money!). Second, the listed purpose helps confirm that your product choice is going to serve the desired function (which isn’t always so clear from the front).
Uses- Pretty basic stuff here, the best part being that every once in a long while they list things you didn’t know it could be used for (bonus!).
Warnings- Things you should worry about before or while taking this medication. Additional categories not included on this particular label include: when not to take the medication at all, possible interactions or side-effects, and signs you should stop taking the medication and/or call your doctor. Oddly enough, this label does not tell pregnant or breast-feeding women to consult with their doctor before using. I thought that was on everything. (Babies are a bit of legal liability every drug company tries to avoid).
Uses- Pretty basic stuff here, the best part being that every once in a long while they list things you didn’t know it could be used for (bonus!).
Warnings- Things you should worry about before or while taking this medication. Additional categories not included on this particular label include: when not to take the medication at all, possible interactions or side-effects, and signs you should stop taking the medication and/or call your doctor. Oddly enough, this label does not tell pregnant or breast-feeding women to consult with their doctor before using. I thought that was on everything. (Babies are a bit of legal liability every drug company tries to avoid).
Directions- I would highly recommend reading this section every time you purchase a product even if it is something you have bought a million times. They change. Important example: the FDA recently required a standardization of the concentration of acetaminophen in all infant products which means the printed doses changed. Every OTC label I have seen has some age cutoff listed below which they refuse to give a dose (e.g. “children under 12 years: consult a physician”). This does not necessarily mean they can’t ever use it. If you already know the pediatrician wants your child to take it just ask the pharmacist—they should be able to find the dose for you, no sweat.
Other Information- A random assortment of information that didn’t fit anywhere else.
Inactive Ingredients- My second favorite section. This is one advantage OTC products have over prescription products. While it is very difficult to find the specific inactive ingredients for a given batch of prescription drugs and some of those ingredients can change between batches; OTC labels are much more helpful. Those of you avoiding specific dyes for allergy or side-effect reasons can find them listed out here. Although I’m on the fence about red-40 I still try to avoid red food coloring to reduce the risk of red vomit stains. Yum.
Expiration Date and Lot Number- Believe it or not, the pharmacist behind the counter has very little control over the outer shelves, especially at a grocery store. You would be surprised how many times I was helping someone find a product and had to grab a different bottle because the one I was holding was expired. Do yourself a favor and check before you buy.
Other Information- A random assortment of information that didn’t fit anywhere else.
Inactive Ingredients- My second favorite section. This is one advantage OTC products have over prescription products. While it is very difficult to find the specific inactive ingredients for a given batch of prescription drugs and some of those ingredients can change between batches; OTC labels are much more helpful. Those of you avoiding specific dyes for allergy or side-effect reasons can find them listed out here. Although I’m on the fence about red-40 I still try to avoid red food coloring to reduce the risk of red vomit stains. Yum.
Expiration Date and Lot Number- Believe it or not, the pharmacist behind the counter has very little control over the outer shelves, especially at a grocery store. You would be surprised how many times I was helping someone find a product and had to grab a different bottle because the one I was holding was expired. Do yourself a favor and check before you buy.
Front- Hypocrisy! Didn’t I just say the front labels were useless? Close, but they do have some nuggets of goodness. These “Gluten Free” tags are getting more common and really make life easy for those of you needing to avoid gluten. (Warning: In case you didn’t already know, this is much more difficult to nail down for prescription products.) The “Compare to <blank>” tag on generic products is only used when both products have the same active ingredients in the same concentrations. This makes it easy-peasy to track down the branded product you have heard a million commercials for and (after you check the back to make sure it is what you need) then simply look for its “Compare to” twin and save!
Bonus for Dietary Supplements (aka Herbal or Natural Products)- You may have noticed the “USP Verified” tag on some of these products (see the blue circle) and it isn’t just empty bragging. This is one of the best ways to make sure you are getting a quality product when you are buying a dietary supplement (which are subject to very limited FDA oversight).
Happy Shopping!
Happy Shopping!
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