Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!
There is a large group of drugs in Poland that are simultaneously available on prescription - prescription and over-the-counter. What is the point of dual availability drugs?
How isprescription drugalso available asover-the-counter drug ? The Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products is responsible for the registration and determination of the drug availability categories. The Committee for Medicinal Products within its framework assesses whether a given drug should be available only on prescription or not. From time to time, it also issues opinions on changes in the categories of availability of specific drugs.
Over-the-counter drugs are referred to by specialists with the abbreviation OTC (over the counter, meaning "in free circulation").
Drug makers want as many of their drugs as possible over-the-counter as this allows them to be advertised in the media (which is prohibited for prescription drugs) and means more sales. Therefore, pharmaceutical companies very often apply for a change in the category of availability of a prescription drug or for the registration of the same drug under a different name as OTC, i.e. available without a prescription. If the documents presented confirm the safety of the drug without medical supervision, the office changes its status.
Another name and … price
Manufacturers, registering such a drug in the OTC category under a new name, often do not give up its "prescription" version. As a result, they function on the market at the same time, differing in name, packaging, leaflet and price. Those prescribed by a doctor are much cheaper (even non-refundable). Therefore, patients who come to the pharmacy without a prescription often ask for such a cheaper drug. Unfortunately, if a preparation is registered as "prescription", a pharmacist would be breaking the law to sell it over the counter.
Prescription and over-the-counter drugs
OTC drugs are intended for the self-treatment of minor ailments (pain, heartburn). The amount of the drug in the package is adapted to the short therapy. The same prescription drugs are most often intended for longer treatment. So their packages are bigger. They are often reimbursed. The list of drugs with a double availability category currently includes active substances such as:
- ranitidine,
- loratadine,
- desloratadine,
- cetirizine,
- levocetirizine,
- ciclopirox,
- ibuprofen,
- fenspiryd,
- fexofenadine,
- furazidine,
- meloxicam,
- naproxen,
- drotaverine,
- scopolamine,
- omeprazole,
- pantoprazole,
- loperamid.
This means that there are OTC preparations containing these substances on the market, and at the same time in pharmacies their versions are available only on prescription.
monthly "Zdrowie"