Behind-the-Counter Products: A Third Class of Drugs As the name implies, these medications exist in a pharmaceutical limbo between OTC and prescription.

摘要

The issue of a third class of drugs has been controversial since the 1980s. The inciting event for the debate was the proposed switch of ibuprofen to OTC status in 1984. Opponents derided the switch as being liable to cause patient harm. Many of those commenting on the 1984 situation offered an alternative to full OTC status, suggesting the drug be placed in a third class of medications to be sold only in pharmacies, often referred to as behind-the-counter (BTC) products. At the time, the concept of a third class of drugs was widely hailed as a novel idea. Proponents of the BTC class offered the explanation that pharmacist counseling would add another layer of safety to the transaction.