E-drug: OC OTC?? (2)
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All OCs are prescription only medications in Canada and I am not aware
of them being sold without a prescription. There has been a long
unresolved debate about whether OCs should be OTC. The criteria for a
product being an OTC are that it has been in use for long enough to
have established a proven safety record and that it is used for a
condition/problem which can be easily diagnosed by consumers. OCs
certainly fit the second part of this definition, but the recent
experience with third generation OCs and DVTs shows that at least some
of these products can have new and unexpected problems.
Joel
Joel Lexchin MD
121 Walmer Rd.
Toronto, Ontario
CANADA M5R 2X8
Phone: (416)-964-7186
Fax: (416)-923-9515
---- Note from the moderator:
The same debate has also been in the Netherlands. After a long
discussion it was decided to keep OCs as prescription only medicines.
But it is a wellknown practice that many repeat prescriptions are
signed by the GP administrative assistant rather than by the GP
him/herself.
Wilbert Bannenberg
Email: 73377.3055@compuserve.com
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