Currently, 35 percent of adult Americans use OTC medications on a regular basis.

Source: Consumer Healthcare Products Association – Statistics on OTC Use

Source: American College of Preventative Medicine – OTC Medications

Over-the-counter medications may delay seeking medical advice from your physician. Like all medications, there are risks for adverse events, interactions with your other medications and supplements, and potential for dependence, misuse, and abuse.

Source: American College of Preventative Medicine – OTC Medications

Choose a medicine that treats only the problems that you have. Unnecessary medicine will not help you and could actually harm you by giving you unwanted side effects.

Too much Tylenol® at one time can cause liver damage, especially if taken with alcohol. Check the Drug Facts label under "Active Ingredients" to see how much Tylenol® content is present, especially if taking multiple medications and combination medicines.

Tylenol® comes in many forms (drops, syrups, capsules, tablets) and is contained in many combination medicines that treat cold and flu, allergy, and sleeplessness. If taken in excessive quantities it can cause liver damage. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of liver damage.

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Acetaminophen and Liver Injury

Taking acetaminophen safely. FDA YouTube video. February 2013.

Medicines In My Home: The Over-the-Counter Drug Facts Label. FDA YouTube video. September 2011.

If taking birth control pills with St. Johns Wort, use an additional form of birth control such as a condom to avoid unexpected pregnancy.

St. Johns Wort, an herbal medication used to treat depression, may decrease the effectiveness of birth control, increasing the chance of unexpected pregnancy.

Source: National Institutes of Health – Medline Plus Drugs and Supplements

Taking St. Johns Wort and dextromethorphan together can cause too much serotonin in the brain leading to heart problems and anxiety.

Both St. Johns Wort, an herbal medication used to treat depression, and dextromethorphan, a common cough suppressant, can increase serotonin levels in the brain.

Source: National Institutes of Health – Medline Plus Drugs and Supplements

Only half (51 percent) of Americans say they seek out the label for usage information when they plan to take an OTC medication for the first time.

Check the active ingredients in all medicines. Do NOT use two medicines with the same active ingredients at the same time, because too much can hurt you.

Source: American College of Preventative Medicine – OTC Medications

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Avoid Food and Drug Interactions

For more information about OTC Labels

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Understanding OTC Labels

Don't take this with that: Grapefruit, drug interaction. FDA YouTube video. February 2013.

Use Medicines Wisely. FDA YouTube video. August 2011.

It mostly has to do with the individual's intentions or motivations. For example, let's say that a person knows that he will get a pleasant or euphoric feeling by taking the drug, especially at higher doses than prescribed. That is an example of drug abuse because the person is specifically looking for that euphoric response.

In contrast, if a person isn't able to fall asleep after taking a single sleeping pill, they may take another pill an hour later, thinking, "That will do the job." Or a person may offer his headache medication to a friend who is in pain. Those are examples of drug misuse because, even though these people did not follow medical instructions, they were not looking to "get high" from the drugs. They were treating themselves, but not according to the directions of their health care providers.

However, no matter the intention of the person, both misuse and abuse of prescription drugs can be harmful and even life-threatening to the individual. This is because taking a drug other than the way it is prescribed can lead to dangerous outcomes that the person may not anticipate.

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Combating Misuse and Abuse of Prescription Drugs: Q&A with Michael Klein, Ph.D.

Among young adults aged 18 to 25, the rate of current nonmedical use of prescription-type drugs (psychotherapeutic-pain relievers, stimulants, tranquilizers and sedatives) in 2012 was 5.3 percent.

Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – National Survey on Drug Use and Health

In 2008, there were 14,800 prescription painkiller deaths. For every one death, there were an additional 10 substance abuse treatment admissions, 32 emergency room visits,130 persons who abuse or are dependent, and 825 persons who report nonmedical use of opioids.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

100 people die from drug overdoses every day in the United States.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

In California the rate of nonmedical use of prescription painkillers was 9.4% in 2010-11 for young people of college age (18-25). One in 10 (10.4 percent) persons aged 18 to 25 nationally reported having used pain relievers nonmedically in the past year.

Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – National Survey on Drug Use and Health

Misuse of prescription drugs is second only to marijuana as the nation's most prevalent illicit drug problem and is a public health concern, with approximately 22 million persons initiating nonmedical pain reliever use since 2002.

Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – National Survey on Drug Use and Health

More people die from overdose of prescription painkillers than they do from heroin and cocaine. In 2008, the number of overdose deaths from prescription painkillers outnumbered deaths from heroin and cocaine combined.

Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse – Prescription Drug Abuse

Every day in the United States, about 60 people die as a result of prescription drug overdose. Every day in the United States, 105 people die as a result of drug overdose, and another 6,748 are treated in emergency departments (ED) for the misuse or abuse of drugs. In 2010, of the 38,329 drug overdose deaths in the United States, 22,134 (60 percent) were related to pharmaceuticals.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Drug Overdose Facts

College students who use prescription stimulants for nonmedical reasons are almost twice as likely to have alcohol dependence and four times as likely to have marijuana dependence.

Source: Pharmacotherapy. 2008;28:156-169

Studies have shown that nonmedical prescription stimulant use does not necessarily provide academic benefit and may be detrimental to your health. There is growing evidence suggesting that nonmedical prescription stimulant use does not confer substantial academic benefit. Although stimulant medications – when used safely under proper medical supervision for the treatment of ADHD – can be instrumental in achieving therapeutic goals related to academic performance, there is no basis for making the assumption that similar benefits can be attained by "healthy" individuals using the drugs intermittently and without medical supervision.

Source: Journal of Addictive Diseases

Some students believe that stimulants such as Adderall® or Ritalin® are effective study aids, even for people without attention disorders. However, a survey of Arizona State University students provides evidence to the contrary. Of those students who reported using stimulants in the past year, 33 percent reported an 'A' cumulative grade point average, compared to 52 percent of nonusers.

Source: Arizona State University – Prescription Drug Abuse

"The Smartest Path" video – Is using Adderall® or Ritalin® really the smartest path to being successful in college? From UC San Diego Student Health Services. 2013.

In 2011, about 1.4 million emergency department (ED) visits involved the nonmedical use of pharmaceuticals. Among those ED visits, 501,207 visits were related to anti-anxiety and insomnia medications, and 420,040 visits were related to opioid analgesics. Benzodiazepines (anti-anxiety and insomnia medications) are frequently found among people treated in EDs for misusing or abusing drugs. People who died of drug overdoses often had a combination of benzodiazepines and opioid analgesics in their bodies. Among people who misused or abused drugs and received treatment in emergency departments in 2011: 56 percent were males; 82 percent were people 21 or older.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Drug Overdose Facts

If a prescription is written by a doctor, isn't the medication safe to use?

Not when it is misused or abused. Many people think that abusing prescription drugs is safer than abusing illicit/street drugs, but they can be JUST as dangerous. There are a number of things that are required to make a drug as "safe" as it can be. These safety measures include making sure physicians know your medical history and prescription activities, and taking it as directed for the purposes that the physician intended.

Prescription drugs can have powerful effects both emotionally and physically within body. This is true of many prescriptions. Combinations of drugs can change the way these drugs are processed. Adding alcohol can further devastate the intended purpose of the medications. These dangers are why there are laws against sharing prescriptions with others, no matter the good intention.

Source: Indiana Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force

Nearly 48,000 women died of prescription painkiller* overdoses between 1999 and 2010. For every woman who dies of a prescription painkiller overdose, 30 go to the emergency department for painkiller misuse or abuse. Although men are still more likely to die of prescription painkiller overdoses (more than 10,000 deaths in 2010), the gap between men and women is closing. Deaths from prescription painkiller overdose among women have risen more sharply than among men; since 1999 the percentage increase in deaths was more than 400 percent among women compared to 265 percent in men.

*"Prescription painkillers" refers to opioid or narcotic pain relievers, including drugs such as Vicodin (hydrocodone), OxyContin (oxycodone), Opana (oxymorphone), and methadone.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Prescription Painkiller Overdose

Of those reporting both nonmedical prescription pain reliever (NMPR) and heroin use in the past year, 77 percent were found to have initiated NMPR use prior to initiating heroin.

Source: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality

Possessing a controlled substance without a prescription could lead to a prison sentence and/or a substantial fine.

Source: California Law – Health and Safety Code Section 11350-11356.5

Too much Tylenol® at one time can cause liver damage, especially if taken with alcohol. Check the Drug Facts label under "Active Ingredients" to see how much Tylenol® content is present, especially if taking multiple medications and combination medicines.

Tylenol® comes in many forms (drops, syrups, capsules, tablets) and is contained in many combination medicines that treat cold and flu, allergy, and sleeplessness. If taken in excessive quantities it can cause liver damage. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of liver damage.

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Acetaminophen and Liver Injury

Taking acetaminophen safely. FDA YouTube video. February 2013.

Medicines In My Home: The Over-the-Counter Drug Facts Label. FDA YouTube video. September 2011.

Many people miss one or more doses of their medication and think that doubling up on the dose is OK to make up for it. However, doubling up on the dose can lead to serious and harmful side effects.

When you read the prescription label make sure it's right in five ways:

• The right medicine, the right person, in the right amount, at the right time, and taken in the right way.

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Medicine Safety

Alcohol can affect the way your medications work.

Does it matter if I take my medicine with alcohol?

Yes. The way your medicine works can change when:

• you swallow your medicine with alcohol
• you drink alcohol after you have taken your medicine
• you take your medicine after you've had alcohol to drink

Alcohol can also add to the side effects caused by medicines. You should talk to your doctor about any alcohol you use or plan to use.

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Avoid Food and Drug Interactions

Avoid alcohol when taking medications that can make you drowsy to avoid additive sedation. Antihistamines, drugs used to temporally reduce allergies, can cause drowsiness. Taking with alcohol or other sedatives can increase drowsiness.

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Drug Interactions What You Should Know

Students who abuse multiple prescription drugs, or mix prescription drugs with alcohol, are significantly more likely to experience alcohol or drug related problems.

Prescription drug interactions can vary, but when mixed with other drugs or alcohol, the hazards can be potentially dangerous. Even interactions with prescription drugs and over the counter cold medicine or asthma medication can be harmful. Always ask your doctor, pharmacist or other medical professional about drug interactions, including those between alcohol and prescription medications.

Source: Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs

Mixing alcohol and medicines can cause harmful interactions.

Mixing alcohol with certain medications can cause nausea and vomiting, headaches, drowsiness, fainting, or loss of coordination. It also can put you at risk for internal bleeding, heart problems, and difficulties in breathing. In addition to these dangers, alcohol can make a medication less effective or even useless, or it may make the medication harmful or toxic to your body.

Some medicines that you might never have suspected can react with alcohol, including many medications that can be purchased "over-the-counter" – that is, without a prescription. Even some herbal remedies can have harmful effects when combined with alcohol. Medications are safe and effective when used appropriately. Your pharmacist or other health care provider can help you determine which medications interact harmfully with alcohol.

Certain medicines contain up to 10 percent alcohol. Cough syrup and laxatives may have some of the highest alcohol concentrations.

Alcohol and medicines can interact harmfully even if they are not taken at the same time.

Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism – Harmful Interactions