Fast Facts
1. One of the primary causes of acute liver failure is an overdose of acetaminophen.
2. A growing number of communities have established “take-back” programs as a safe disposal alternative for expired or unwanted drugs and medications.
3. When disposing of medications in the trash, it is recommended to mix them with coffee grounds or kitty litter so they cannot be consumed.
4. Before drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the company that manufactures the medication must submit an assessment of how a drug’s use will affect the environment.
5. Over-the-counter Drug Facts Labels must look the same on every product.
6. The FDA requires over-the-counter pain relievers to include a warning about potential health risks.
7. Drinking alcohol while taking acetaminophen increases the risk of liver damage.
8. Alcohol consumption with NSAIDs increases the risk of stomach bleeding.
9. Having over-the-counter drugs in your system when driving can get you busted.
10. The Drug Facts Labeling Law requires that the label be easy to read and understand; no technical language is allowed.
11. Acetaminophen is an effective “fast relief” pain reliever. An oral dose reaches peak levels in the blood within 60 minutes.
12. OTC mediations are safe and effective, but must be taken according to label instructions.
13. Acetaminophen is abbreviated as APAP on prescription labels. Be sure to check your prescriptions for APAP before taking any over-the-counter medications containing acetaminophen.
14. The FDA patterned the Drug Facts Label after another easy to read and understand label—the Nutrition Facts Label.
15. When it comes to medicine, more is not better. Never take higher doses than recommended.
16. Look through your medicine supply at least once a year and dispose of medicines that are past the expiration date.
17. Drugs, including over-the-counter drugs, can pass from a pregnant woman to her baby. A safe does for the mother may be too much for an unborn baby.
18. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, “There is no such thing as child-proof packaging.”
19. Never buy over-the-counter products if the packaging is damaged.
20. Many prescription and over-the-counter drugs impair driving ability.
21. You can be arrested and charged with a DUI when driving under the influence of OTC medicines. Be safe.
22. Medicines often have side effects–unwanted or unexpected effects on the body.
23. Some countries have behind-the-counter medications. These are medications pharmacists dispense at their discretion.
24. Currently in the US there are two main types of over-the-counter medicines that are kept behind the pharmacy counter: Plan B contraception, due to an age limit, and pseudoephedrine, to help prevent its use in making illegal drugs.
25. The Food and Drug Administration was created in 1862 as the Division of Chemistry.
26. In the 1980s ibuprofen was available by prescription only.
