Americans routinely use over-the-counter (OTC) products—from cough and cold medicines to sunscreens—to protect their health and treat illnesses. These medications carry risks, and when new or previously unknown safety issues emerge, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must be able to respond quickly. That’s often challenging under the agency’s current OTC oversight system, which regulates more than 300,000 products.
Pew worked to strengthen and streamline FDA’s oversight of OTC drugs so that the agency could swiftly address safety risks and protect consumers’ health.