OTC Medicines

Child-resistant packaging is used to reduce the risk of poisoning in children via the ingestion of potentially hazardous items including certain prescription and OTC medications, pesticides, and household chemicals.

The U.S. Self-Care Marketing Awards recognize the strategic innovation and marketing expertise of our member companies in both the over-the-counter (OTC) medicine and dietary supplement industries.

The bipartisan federal Combat Meth Epidemic Act strikes the proper policy balance between restricting pseudoephedrine access for illicit use without unduly burdening consumers seeking safe, effective cold relief. Therefore, state legislators should refrain from overriding federal guidelines requiring prescriptions for these legitimate over-the-counter medications.

Learn about the process of transferring FDA-approved prescription medications to nonprescription, over-the-counter status.

Lawmakers should refrain from imposing unnecessary restrictions limiting consumer purchase quantities or behind-the-counter placement for loperamide, as leading manufacturers have already implemented package adjustments to limit potential abuse of these medications by consumers.

CHPA is instrumental in shaping the policy and regulatory environment in the OTC medicine, dietary supplement, and consumer medical device industries.

Find recent sales data by year and category for over-the-counter products.

Since the Final Rule was published in 1995, FDA has received six Citizen Petitions (CPs) requesting the addition of alternatives to the animal caries test to the Anticaries Monograph.

CHPA opposes state and local government attempts to restrict the use of FDA-approved color additives as doing so is vital for maintaining a cohesive regulatory framework.

Ingredients & Dosages Transferred from Rx-to-OTC Status (or New OTC Approvals) by the Food and Drug Administration Since 1975.