Pharmacists' Top-Recommended Over-the-Counter Health Products for 2024 Revealed

Pharmacy Times The OTC Guide Most-Trusted Source for Pharmacists and Patients 

CRANBURY, N.J., June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pharmacy Times^® today released its comprehensive annual list of over-the-counter (OTC) health products most recommended by pharmacists. The 2024 OTC Guide® provides recommendations and rankings on more than 800 brands across 149 product categories, based on the recommendations of over 1,800 pharmacists nationwide.

For 28 years, the OTC Guide has continued to be the most trusted survey of pharmacists on the brands and products they most recommend. The guide is an easy-to-use resource of pharmacists' perspectives that enable consumers to treat acute ailments and illnesses and support overall wellness with vitamins, minerals, and other supplements.

More than ever, patients are turning to self-care, making pharmacists their first line of medical advice to recommend OTC products to treat conditions such as allergies, arthritis, colds, migraines, acne, eczema, and gastrointestinal issues. Further, while predictions show an expected primary care provider shortfall, 89% of Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy, and patients visit their pharmacy twice as often as they see their doctor, according to data released by the American Pharmacists Association.

This year's OTC Guide reveals oral anti-inflammatory products are the number one thing consumers look to their pharmacists to recommend, with 3.2 million people per month seeking pharmacists' advice for these products.

The top five most requested products for recommendations this year include:

1. Oral anti-Inflammatory, recommended 3.2 million times per month;
2. Cough Suppressants, 3.1 million times per month;
3. Flu Products, 3.1 million times per month;
4. Oral Antihistamines, 2.6 million times per month;
5. Cold Remedies, 2.5 million times per month

"Pharmacists are the first, and often the only, provider of healthcare guidance for many people across the country. That demand only continues to grow as more Americans look for self-care options," said Gil Hernandez, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at MJH Life Sciences. "The OTC Guide continues to be a trusted source of information for pharmacists, patients, and consumers across the country, and decades later it remains the only pure survey of pharmacists, with zero agendas or third-party influencers."

The following brands have been the top recommended by pharmacists year-over-year for at least the last ten years:

Pharmacy Times evaluates pharmacists' insights and preferences through an annual research program conducted by HRA - Healthcare Research and Analytics, a consultative healthcare market research practice.

The Pharmacy Times 2024 OTC Guide can be found online here.

A broadcast audio news release version of this story is available here.

About Pharmacy Times
Pharmacy Times is the industry-leading multimedia pharmacy network of community, health system, oncology and specialty pharmacy platforms, providing practical clinical and professional information pharmacists can use in everyday practice when counseling patients and interacting with other healthcare providers. Each issue and the website contains articles and features covering industry trends, drug interactions, patient education, disease state management, patient counseling, product news, pharmacy law, and more. Pharmacy Times Continuing Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. Pharmacy Times is a brand of MJH Life SciencesTM, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical company in North America, dedicated to delivering trusted healthcare news across multiple channels.

SOURCE Pharmacy Times