Medication: The Facts on Prescription, Over-the-Counter, and Herbal Medications

MedicineNet’s MedTerms Dictionary has a definition of prescription drugs and a brief definition of over-the-counter medication.

eMedicineHealth is part of the WebMD family. This site describes prescription medication, explains how it differs from over-the-counter medication, and provides historical background.

MedlinePlus is a site run by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. The site has a short introduction to over-the-counter medication.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers more detail on the types of over-the-counter medications sold. There’s also a section on reading an over-the-counter label and advice for getting the most from your medication.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and has an introduction to dietary supplements. It addresses questions such as “Does ‘natural’ always mean ‘safe’?” and “Does the Federal Government regulate supplements?”

The Office of Dietary Supplements is part of the National Institutes of Health and has a useful overview of botanicals, including herbal supplements. This page describes what legally defines a supplement, how supplements are prepared, and what methods are used to evaluate a supplement’s safety.

eMedicineHealth has a page describing generic medication with examples from your supermarket and information on how it differs from name-brand medication.

MedlinePlus has a complete database of medications and herbal supplements. Search for your medication by name to learn what it’s prescribed for, how to use it, whether there are any dietary restrictions associated with it, and what its side effects are.

DrugDigest is a page created by Express Scripts, Inc., a pharmacy benefit management company. Learn about a drug by plugging it into the search box on the left side of the page. Although the site is commercially sponsored, it doesn’t endorse a particular medication. Another page on this site allows you to check drug interactions by selecting two medications from an extensive list.

The RxList is an Internet drug index that is owned and operated by WebMD. The site’s most useful features include the pill identifier, which helps you determine what medication you have by looking at its shape, its color, and a code on the side of the pill. An A–Z drug index has information about dosage, precautions, side effects, and instructions for many medications.

The Cleveland Clinic has a page that describes how supplements can interact with conditions or medications.

NCCAM has a page on herbal supplements that explains what is considered a supplement and offers advice for taking them safely.

The American Academy of Family Physicians has a question-and-answer page about herbal supplements. This site also has downloadable charts describing possible side effects and interactions; scroll down to find them.

The Dietary Supplements Labels Database is run by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and NIH. It allows searches by brand name, active ingredient, or manufacturer. Search herbs, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids for links describing uses, adverse effects, general information, and mechanisms of action.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has an article with resources and ideas for saving money on your prescription drugs.

The Federal Citizen Information Center has tips for shopping online for medication and links to report suspicious sites to the FDA.

Medicare offers prescription coverage through more than 1,000 plans nationwide, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a policy group. Use this page to find a prescription drug plan for you.

The U.S. Social Security Administration has applications and instructions for Medicare’s prescription drug assistance.

AARP (formerly the American Association for Retired Persons) has a page explaining what over-the-counter medication labels mean. There is also a short glossary defining the terms you’d find on over-the-counter labels.

The National Women’s Health Information Center has replicated a prescription drug label on this site. Clicking on any item will help you decipher the label by revealing what it means. The page is available in Spanish and in a larger font.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers six tips to avoid medication mistakes. Tips include asking the doctor questions about a medication, knowing what the medication’s name is, and knowing what it’s supposed to treat.

The Institute of Medicine has a fact sheet, “What You Can Do to Avoid Medication Errors,” that offers advice for different settings, including the doctor’s office, pharmacy, hospital, and your home.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has an article about safely using drug samples that tells you what to look for when your doctor gives them to you. You’ll also find tips for safely disposing of your old, expired medication. Some antibiotics can be toxic if you take them after they have expired.

AARP has a free form you can download and fill out to keep track of your medication. Take this form to any doctors you see to help them prescribe the best medication for you.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has a page on prescription drug abuse, including the types of medications abused and statistics. The page also contains links that describe the health effects of using certain medications for nonmedical uses.

The American Pharmacists Association has a page of drug-related news taken from services and publications such as the FDA, DrugInfoLine, and Pharmacy Today.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is part of the National Institutes of Health. The news page contains alerts and advisories, along with internal news about the institute itself.

ScienceDaily has a page devoted to news articles about herbal and dietary supplements.

Topix collects articles and blog posts from around the world. Type “herbal supplements” or the name of a specific supplement you’re interested in into the search box at the top of the page to get the latest news available.

Swedish Medical Center has an article titled “Study Finds That Most Online Information About Herbal Supplements Is Misleading.” The study analyzed nearly 450 Web sites to see what they said about the most popular supplements, such as Saint-John’s-wort, ginseng, and echinacea. More than half the sites analyzed claimed the supplement advertised could prevent, cure, or treat a specific disease, and such claims are against the law.

The Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research at the University of Chicago has information on research into herbal supplements and conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The FDA posts recall information and other important consumer notices, such as drug warnings. The following articles warn consumers about drugs that are widely distributed, advertised, and consumed without FDA approval and without any proof of effectiveness: “FDA Announces that Companies Must Stop Marketing Suppository Products Containing Trimethobenzamide” and “Drugs Marketed in the United States That Do Not Have Required FDA Approval”).

The Consumers Union is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting consumers’ rights. This page has Consumers Union articles about drug effectiveness and cost, generic medication, and Medicare.

Recalls.gov has updated lists of all recalled drugs, vaccines, medical devices, and other biological products.