Joel Ian D.

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Article:
Using Over-the-Counter Drugs To Treat Upper
Respiratory Infections May Save $4.75 Billion Annually
Using nonprescription, or over-the-counter (OTC), medications to treat
common upper respiratory infections could save $4.75 billion a year, according
to a new study conducted by researchers from Northwestern University.
The study, led by Martin Lipsky, M.D., professor of family medicine at
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and dean of the University
of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, compared the results of using OTC
medications to treat upper respiratory infections with those with non-treatment.
Lipsky and colleagues found an average cost savings of $9 per episode
among adults using OTCs to treat their symptoms. With an average of three
upper respiratory infection episodes per year among Americans age 18 to 65,
this translates into potential annual savings of $4.75 billion.
“Many factors involved in the treatment of common upper respiratory
infections contribute to a major economic burden. This study suggests that when
adults use OTC medications to treat their symptoms, not only is there a symptom
benefit, but there also appears to be a substantial cost savings to the healthcare
system and the economy alike,” Lipsky said.
“It’s important for people to understand the signs and symptoms of these
common conditions and to know that many nonprescription products are
available to treat symptoms at a fairly low cost,” Lipsky said. The common cold is
a leading cause of missed workdays and decreased productivity, resulting in an
average loss of 8.7 work hours per cold episode. The economic impact of this lost
productivity is estimated at $25 billion, with $16.6 billion attributed to on-the-job
productivity loss.
“Each year, especially during cold season, the economy takes a big hit
from missed time from work and loss of on-the-job productivity,” said study
economist Teresa Waters, associate director for research, Center for Health
Services Research, and associate professor, department of preventative
medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
“By alleviating symptoms, OTCs keep people more productive and reduce
physician visits, without compromising health outcomes. This may be the first
study to clearly demonstrate these benefits from the use of nonprescription
medications,” Waters said.

Reaction:
The use of OTC drugs as treatment for URTI is a very effective and
cheaper way to treat URTIs. Most commonly in our socio-economic downfall,
cheaper and cheaper valuables can now be afford, so why not in medicine. Not
only in the US where economic crisis is visible, but also in any part of the world,
most especially in the Philippines. With many economic downfalls and more
growing population that we have, cheaper medicines to treat illnesses is a must,
especially in the poor urban areas. There must also be some studies on how to
prevent the spread of URTIs especially most of these infections are airborne. As
said, prevention is better than cure, so the more we prevent these infection, the
more we are safe.
OTC drugs for treatment of URTIs is a big step for the health of people,
lessening payments on hospital bills and visits, check-ups, and will save money.
It is also a big help that health centers these days are giving free medicine for
the poor and the needy.
Also, people must be aware of the dangers of the environment, specially
these times where diseases are everywhere. Prevention, as always, is better than
cure. An if prevention is not enough, OTC drugs are now there to help to prevent
big medical bills.