Common Over-the-Counter Medications (Part 2) Practice Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering OTC analgesics, smoking cessation aids, and dietary/herbal supplements based on the lecture transcript.

Analgesics

Medications used for the treatment of pain.

Antipyretics

Medications used to reduce fever.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol)

The most widely used non-opioid analgesic, historically abbreviated as APAP, which can lead to liver toxicity or failure if more than $4\,g$ is taken daily.

NSAID

An abbreviation for Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, a class of analgesics that treats both pain and inflammation.

Acetylsalicylic acid

The chemical name for Aspirin, first marketed in 1899, which provides pain relief, fever reduction, and anti-inflammatory properties but may cause GI intolerance and bleeding.

Aspirin ($81\,mg$)

Commonly known as baby aspirin; it is recommended for cardiac protection because it inhibits platelet aggregation.

Propionic acid derivatives

The class of NSAIDs that includes ibuprofen and naproxen, which are generally better tolerated and have fewer serious side effects than aspirin.

Naproxen

An OTC NSAID that has a longer duration of action, allowing for less frequent dosing compared to other options.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

A category of OTC medications used for smoking cessation, including dosage forms such as transdermal patches, gum, and lozenges.

Transdermal Patch (NRT)

A smoking cessation dosage form that uses a stepwise reduction in nicotine dose over time.

Nicotine Gum

An NRT dosage form best for acute relief of symptoms, with an onset of action of 30 minutes compared to 10 minutes for a cigarette.

Nicotrol NS

A nicotine nasal spray that is one of the NRT dosage forms requiring a physician’s order.

Nicotrol

A nicotine inhaler dosage form that requires a physician's order.

Dietary supplement

A product containing ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, or botanicals intended to complement the diet.

Herbal medicine

The practice of using plant components—including bark, roots, leaves, seeds, flowers, or fruit—to heal.

Alternative medicine

Therapies traditionally not emphasized in Western medical schools, such as herbal medicine, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, and reflexology.

Complementary medicine

Alternative medicine used simultaneously with, rather than instead of, standard Western medicine.

U.S. Pharmacopeia

An independent organization that, beginning in 2002, started certifying dietary products for quality and purity standards.

Good manufacturing practices (2007)

FDA-mandated standards requiring dietary supplement manufacturers to provide data demonstrating product identity, composition, quality, purity, and strength.

St. John’s Wort

A supplement used for depression and anxiety that has many potential drug interactions and should not be combined with certain antidepressants.

Ginkgo

A supplement intended to prevent memory loss, though recent research shows a lack of efficacy.

Garlic

A supplement used for cardiac health that has conflicting evidence for lowering cholesterol and may increase bleeding risks.

Echinacea

A supplement used to stimulate the immune system; it may prevent a cold but will not shorten its length.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Supplements used for cholesterol reduction which have strong evidence of efficacy; an FDA-approved prescription version is available under the name Lovaza.