Over The Counter,Prescription,

and

Herbal Drugs

OTC Drugs

Over The Counter Drugs are non prescription drugs that can be    

                               bought and used with out a Doctor's permission or supervision.

                                  Even though many of these drugs are bought to help eliminate 

                           symptoms, some people miss use them and/abuse them. "Because 

                          these drugs are usually available on demand, they arpercieved as being

                                exceptionally safe, and poorly understood by the general public,

                                    their abuse patterns differ somewhat from those seen with the

                                      so called hard-core drugs of abuse;nevertheless they can be 

                                                                equally harmful (p.430)."

    Types of OTC drugs

 

         Internal Analgesics-Taken by mouth.

These drugs are Aspirin 

      like drugs.

   Therapeutic Considerations-

The are drugs that are effective in 

 treating several common ailment

Caffeine and other Additives-

Relives the aversion of the aversion 

of pain due to its stimulant effect

which may be perceived as pleasant

and energizing.

 

           Cold, Allergy, And Cough Remedies-

        Most of the population uses OTC drugs

 to treat common colds.

 

Decongestants-

The cold and allergy products were used

are formulated with such drugs as decongestants,

antihistamines, analgesics, and an assortment

of other substances.

 

Antitussives-

Drugs that also relieve common colds

Often to treat coughing.

 

Other OTC drugs

 

Sleeping Aids

Antiacids and Anti heartburn

Diet aids

Skin Products

Acne Medications

Sun Products

Skin First Aid

 



 OTC Herbal (Natural) Products

 

 

 Over the counter Herbal medicines are very common and

over 5,000 brands are OTC herbal medications. "They are

unique because despite the presence of active ingredients

there is little or no Federal regulation due to a 1994 law,

supported by dietary supplement industry called the Dietary
Supplement Health and Education Act. This law requires

the government to demonstrate that substances in herbal

products are harmful before such products can be

removed from the market. (p.445)"

 

                                           Common OTC Herbal Medicines

 

Echinacea- Reduce Cold symptoms

Garlic-Inhibits production of cholesterol and reduces blood sugar

Ginkgo Biloba-Improves Memory

SAM-E- Helps regulate brain Transmitters such as dopamine

St. John Wort- Elevates mood

Ginseng- Increases energy

Saw Palmetto- Relieves discomforts associated with prostate glands

Glucosamine and Chondroitin-contributes to joint strength

 

 

Prescription Drugs

 These are drugs that can only under the direction of a licenced health professionals.

"According to this pieces of legislation, drugs are controlled with prescriptions if they are habit- forming, not safe for self-medication, intended to treat aliments that require the supervision of a health professional, or, new and without an established safe track record (p 447)."

 

 

 

 

 

Common Categories of prescription Drugs

 

Analgesics- Narcotics and NSAID types

Antibiotics- Help treat infections

Antidepressants- help with people who have severe depression

Antidiabetic drugs

Antiulcer Drugs

Bronchodilators- Drugs that widen air passages

Cardiovascular Drugs

Antihypertensive Agents- help high blood pressure.

Antianginal Agents

Cholesterol- and Lipid Lowering Drugs

Hormone Related Drugs

Sedative Hypnotic Agents

Stimulants

Drugs to treat HIV

 

Generic: Official, nonpaented, non proprietary name of a drug

Proprietary: Brand or trademark name that is registered with the U.S patent Office


 

 

 

 

                                                        OTC DRUG ABUSE

 Treating Drug Dependence
 

 People who become addicted to drugs often end up getting treatment

to help them get their life back together. Many of these people who

are addicted to drugs come from many different backgrounds

and have their individual issues. Some people suffer from occupational, social,

psychiatric, and other medical issues that can make their addictions tough to treat.

There are many different types of treatment programs to help with addictions. Some of these include, behavioral therapy and medication. "The most successful drug abuse treatment programs typically provide a combination of therapies and other services to meet the needs of individual abusers (p.565)."

 

 

Therapeutic Strategies 

 

Medical Detoxification- process whereby individuals are systematically withdrawn from drugs, typically under the care of a physician.

Motivational Enhancement Therapy-Patient-centered counseling approach for promoting behavior change by assisting patients resolving ambivalence about engaging in treatment and discontinuing drug use.

Outpatient Treatment Programs- Many different services provided

Short-Term Residential Treatment-12 step method approach

Long-Term Residential Treatment Programs- provides 24 hours a day treatment care

Individualized Drug Counseling- focuses on reducing illicit drug use and any other issues with family.

 

Pharmacological Strategies

 

Methadone

Naloxone and Naltrezone

Buprenophine

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

 

 

 

 Reflection

 

One thing I learned in this session that I may be able to use in the future
is about OTC drugs. I didn't know that Herbal Drugs had their own category. I learned to read labels on all of the medicines and make sure that I take the proper dosage. This is to prevent miss use and abuse. Also I learned about different types of treatment programs that help treat drug abusers.

 What did you find the most difficult about this course? 
The most difficult part about the course were the quizzes. When I opened the quizzes I would get really bad anxiety which made me take a long time on them. I kept looking over my questions many times to make sure I chose the right answer. I didn't do bad on them, but they were my weakest grades! 

What did you enjoy the most about this course?
I really enjoyed this course! I really enjoyed the journal entries because I can be creative with pictures and videos. I am a visual learner, so putting the visuals with the writing really helped me learn the information. Also I enjoyed the research paper! I liked that I was able to go out into the community and interview someone. The person I interviewed was really friendly and this helped me write my essay well!

If you feel that everything has gone well, what is it that helped you to achieve success?
 To achieve my success, I set up a plan every week. I made sure that I made the deadlines by the end of the module. I also made sure my assignments are done well and follow directions. Everyday I would check ANGEL to see if there has been any changes and updates as well!