(March 28, 2008 - Insidermedicine) While it is much easier to pick up the pills you want from a pharmacy shelf without seeing your doctor first, the risks of making drugs available without a prescription are considerable and need to be managed, according to an analysis published in the British Medical Journal.

Here are some recommendations for avoiding adverse drug reactions:

•    If you are already taking medications or supplements, speak to your doctor or pharmacist first before taking an over-the-counter drug to ensure there is no risk the drug will interact in a negative way.

•    If you have any health conditions, ask your doctor or pharmacist to help you choose over-the-counter drugs that are not at risk of worsening your condition.

•    When you purchase over-the-counter drugs, be sure to read the dosing instructions thoroughly and follow them carefully.

Experts from the West Midlands Centre for Adverse Drug Reactions and the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow outlined the benefits and risks of making drugs available over-the-counter, and they offered recommendations of how to minimize the risks.

The benefits of making drugs available without a prescription are clear – consumers can pick up what they need when they want, and doctors do not need to write prescriptions for minor illnesses. The risk is that without a doctor's input, people will misdiagnose themselves, use the wrong medication, and lengthen the time it takes for them to receive appropriate treatment for serious conditions. Some of these risks can be minimized by specifying the concentration, dose, or pack size that can be made available over-the-counter and continually reviewing the safety of over-the-counter drugs.

Today's research highlights the benefits and risks of making drugs available without a prescription and underlines the need to keep a watchful eye on the safety of drugs that are available in this manner.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.