Over-the-Counter Drugs - What Is It Made Of?

What Is It Made Of?

In From Chocolate to Morphine, Weil and Rosen noted that cough syrups and cold remedies are "a mixed bag of different formulas and strengths." Many over-the-counter medicines are synthetic substances, meaning they are created in a lab from chemicals. Others, such as herbal supplements and caffeine, come from plants. (Separate entries on herbal drugs and caffeine are included in this encyclopedia.) Some OTC drugs contain depressantsSubstances that slow down the activity of an organism or one of its parts., while others contain stimulantsA substance that increases the activity of a living organism or one of its parts..

The popular over-the-counter painkiller Aleve made headlines in 2004 when a scientific report was issued linking use of the drug by elderly patients to an increase in strokes and heart attacks. Photo illustration by Mario Tama/Getty Images.
The popular over-the-counter painkiller Aleve made headlines in 2004 when a scientific report was issued linking use of the drug by elderly patients to an increase in strokes and heart attacks. Photo illustration by Mario Tama/Getty Images.

Quite often, the ingredients in these preparations were included in prescription-only medications for several years before being released for sale over the counter. In some cases, OTC drugs contain smaller amounts of an active ingredient—the chemical or substance in a compound known or believed to have a therapeutic, or healing, effect—than the prescription drug of the same type. Ibuprofen is a good example of this. The drug can be purchased in the nonprescription strength of 200 milligrams per tablet or capsule at any drug or grocery store. However, a prescription is needed for the more potent 800-milligram pills.