General shopping tips

No matter what your ailment is, be aware of traps at the drugstore. Watch out for:

Brand-name extensions

Drug manufacturers often use brand names to launch related but different products. Tylenol isn’t the only example. There are 34 Vicks products and 14 Sudafed products, and countless store brands and generic versions. With so many products to choose from, people might take medications that are inappropriate or even risky.

Recommendation

Choose remedies by active ingredients, not the brand.

"Shotgun" remedies

Many products are loaded with multiple ingredients to blast several symptoms at once. That’s a misfire, since some added ingredients can increase risks, and any ingredient that treats a symptom you don’t have is unnecessary. Such products can increase the risk of overdoses if you take multiple medications (see Safety Alert).

Recommendation

Opt for medicines with one active ingredient.

Prescription drugs that become OTC

Direct access to medication can introduce new risks if people turn to them when simpler remedies would suffice or if they treat problems without a doctor’s diagnosis.

Recommendation

Before trying a drug that has become available over the counter, talk with your doctor to make sure that it’s right for you, that you need it, and that the condition doesn’t require medical supervision.