1. Prescription & Over-the-Counter Drugs: Get the Facts
Lesson 2-4

2. Objectives
TSW differentiate between proper use, misuse and abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
TSW correctly read sample labels for prescription and over- the-counter drugs.

3. Health Terms Dosage Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Over-the-counter
Prescription

4. Intro
Transition
In your student journals, write about a time you were given a prescription from a doctor for a medicine, or a time you took medicine purchased from a store for a cold, allergies, or other illness. What were your symptoms and how did the medicine help?

5. Intro
Motivate
What are some other medicines you’ve heard of or may have taken?
What do all of these drugs have in common?
What’s the difference between prescription and over-the- counter drugs?

6. Intro Prescription Drugs
Drug gotten legally from a pharmacy with a written prescription
May be stronger or have side effects
Used to treat critical or chronic health condition
Over-the-counter Drugs
Bought from a drug store or grocery store
Used to treat symptoms of common illnesses
Limited – there are sometimes limits, must be 18 to buy
Today you’re going to look at how to use prescription and over-the- counter drugs properly, ways these drugs can be misused and abused, and some of the dangers associated with taking them improperly.

7. Teaching Steps
Survey
What do you know about how drugs used for medical purpose are classified and regulated?
Explain
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – federal agency that determines what drugs are going to be prescription drugs and which ones will be over-the-counter drugs
Some start out as prescription drugs then become over-the- counter drugs (Claritin, Zantac)
All drugs must be approved by the FDA, shown to be safe and work correctly, and labeled with the proper instructions

9. Teaching Steps Ask and Discuss
What are some similarities between two labels?
Name of the drug/active ingredient, amount and strength of the drug, instructions of how often and when to take
What are some difference between the labels?

10. Teaching Steps Prescription drug label: Person’s name prescribed too
Prescribing doctor’s name
Quantity in the container
Number of refills allowed
Expiration date
Drug store contact info
Specific directions
Over-the-Counter drug label:
Uses and symptoms to relieve
Purpose of the drug
Warnings – side effects, who shouldn’t take drug,
Amount and timing of doses
Other info – how to store
Inactive ingredients

11. Teaching Steps Ask and Discuss
Why do you think there are differences between prescription and over-the-counter drug labels?
Summarize
Over-the-counter labels – more info because it’s not known who will be taking the drug
Not needed in prescription drugs because it’s prescribed for particular person not just anyone

12. Teaching Steps
Review
Let’s apply what you’ve already learned about drug misuse and abuse specifically to prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
What are all of the ways you can think of that a person might misuse a prescription or over-the-counter drug?
Taking more of a drug than suppose to
Taking the drug more frequently than suppose to
Using an over-the-counter drug longer than suppose
Taking 2 or more drugs at the same time
Not finishing a prescription until its gone

13. Teaching Steps
Review
What are some ways you can think of that a person might abuse a prescription or over-the-counter drug?
Taking a drug when there’s no medical reason
Taking a drug to get high
Taking a drug that was prescribed for someone else
Obtaining a prescription drug with a doctor’s order
Getting multiple prescriptions from different doctors or pharmacies
Using drugs with alcohol or other illegal drugs

14. Teaching Steps Summarize Drug Misuse:
Over-the-counter drugs – people believe taking more or taking more often will lead to symptoms to stop (WRONG!!!)
Prescription drugs – forgetting to take dose or stop taking once symptoms get better
Major difference abuse and misuse – intent and how habitually a person misuses any kind of drug  addiction

15. Teaching Steps Create and Share
Create a list as many reasons people might misuse or abuse prescription and over-the-counter drugs as you can think of in 1 minute.

16. Closure
Close
What’s the most important thing that you learned today to help you avoid misusing or abusing prescription or over-the- counter drugs?