May 2002 • Volume 8 • Number 5 |
Because of the potential danger for patients who incorrectly use over-the-counter medicines, the AAFP recently published its first-ever guide to the medications, "Appropriate Use of Common OTC Analgesics and Cough and Cold Medications." The American Family Physician monograph, available online at http://www.aafp.org/afp/otcmonograph/, was written with financial support from a grant from McNeil Consumer Healthcare.
This guide integrates basic science with practical insights and guidance about patient management and counseling.
It contains patient education materials in English and Spanish that include a list of questions patients should ask doctors about medications; medicine dos and don'ts; and foods, drinks and activities to avoid when taking certain medications. It also explains the difference between generic and brand-name medicines, and gives tips for choosing medicines.
FP Report is published by the
AAFP News Department.
Copyright © 2002 by
American Academy of Family Physicians.