Over The Counter Drugs

Over-the-counter drugs


What is over the counter drug?

Over the counter drug is a legal medicine, can be sold over the counter in the store or pharmacy and without a doctor prescription.

In Cambodia, from my personal observation and experience, people can buy almost any types drugs, including controlled drugs (are prescription medicines) without any necessary prescription from the medical officer or with verbal query to the person behind the counter.

I find it is easy as saying ABC.

Just drop by a pharmacy near you.



Ask the person behind the counter (who may be a pharmacist or a person who is familiar with the name of medications), for the medication, you want or simply state, “I have or my child has a cold or flu like symptom, can I have some medication(s) for that”.



With personal sound of judgement (of course, pharmacist knew the drugs) and those medication(s) will be dispatched to you in no time. It is so simple, isn’t it?

The medications dispatched or recommended are more than requirement. For instant, for cold and flu symptom, the person may end up with a cocktail of medicines “Panadol for reducing fever/pain, Vitamin C and even antibiotic”, instead of a simple “Cold & Flu” tablet that may do the trick.



Whilst medicines are legal drugs, meaning doctors are allowed to prescribe them for patients, pharmacist can sell them and people are allowed to buy them, however; it is not safe for people to use these medicines any way they want (just my personal opinion).



One thing that consumers may not aware and realize is that “All medicines”, whether it is prescribed by a health professional (doctor) or available over-the-counter, have the potential to cause harm if not used as recommended by a health professional or as instructed on the label. Even if the “Herbal medicines” are commonly thought of as natural, and therefore are harmless but herbal medicines can interact with prescription medicines.



The golden rule:

- Please medical advice before obtaining any medication(s);

- When being prescribed medication, remember to tell your health professional about ALL forms of medication you are currently using and this includes over-the-counter and herbal remedies;



If unnecessary to be treated with medication(s), the best way is to allow our body immune system a chance to fight by itself and to avoid antibiotic resistance.



By: Brother BC Tor