Prescription & Nonprescription
drugs
All medications sold can
be divided into two categories:
Prescription drugs that
require a prescription to be sold
Nonprescription or
over-the-counter drugs that do not require a prescription from a doctor
Prescription drugs are
generally more potent than those sold over-the-counter (OTC) and may have more
serious side effects if inappropriately used. Therefore, these medications are
only sold under a doctor's direction. These directions are written on a
prescription by your doctor, then double-checked, packaged, and sold to you by
a pharmacist. Your pharmacist will also counsel you on how to use your
medication and the drug's potential side effects.