Elevating Safe Use of Over-The-Counter Medications in Older Adults: A Narrative Review of Pharmacy Involved Interventions and Recommendations for Improvement

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications are products that have been made easily accessible to allow patients to treat common ailments without a prescription and the cost of a doctor's visit. These medications are generally considered safe; however, there is still a potential for these medications to lead to adverse health outcomes. Older adults (ages 50+) are especially susceptible to these adverse health outcomes, due to age-related physiological changes, a higher prevalence of comorbidities, and prescription medication use. Many OTC medications are sold in pharmacies, which provides pharmacists and technicians with the opportunity to help guide safe selection and use for these medications. Therefore, community pharmacies are the ideal setting for OTC medication safety interventions. This narrative review summarizes the findings of pharmacy-involved interventions that promote safe OTC medication use for older adults.

Automated summary

OTC medications are easily accessible products for treating common ailments without a prescription. Older adults are more susceptible to adverse health outcomes due to age-related changes, comorbidities, and prescription medication use. Community pharmacies are important for promoting safe use of OTC medications for older adults.