Over-the-Counter Medicines Create a Healthier Healthcare System
Having safe, effective, and affordable options for everyday personal healthcare has never been more important. Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are the first line of defense for relief from a wide variety of symptoms and conditions.
These accessible and trusted self-care products provide $146 billion in value to the U.S. healthcare system each year helping consumers avoid unnecessary doctor visits, increasing work productivity, and other cost advantages.
And now, if you have a flexible spending arrangement (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) you can use these pre-tax savings for purchasing OTC medicines and menstrual care products!
Independent Study Cites Billions in Savings
In 2012, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) funded a first-of-its-kind study to assign a dollar value to the contribution that OTC medicines make to the U.S. healthcare system. Data from Booz & Co.’s research proved so valuable to CHPA members and other stakeholders that we commissioned IRI to conduct a second study with an expanded scope. This 2018 project examined the value of OTC medicines across a large set of alternatives such as prescription drugs and office visits and found OTCs save billions of dollars across the healthcare spectrum.
Infographics
Understand key findings at a glance. Find out how OTCs impact stakeholders across the entire U.S. healthcare system with billions of dollars saved.
White Paper: Value of OTC Medicines to the U.S. Healthcare System
Take a deep dive into IRI’s seminal study. Learn how researchers tapped a pool of 5000+ consumers to explore the many benefits of OTCs.
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Newsroom
Find additional materials of interest regarding this research and other related OTC statistics, as well as CHPA contacts for further information.