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Medicine vocabulary · Prescriptions and Medication

Over-the-counter

Meaning in medicine, with examples

adjectiveCommon term

In medicine, over-the-counter means: Describes medicines that can be bought from a pharmacy or shop without a doctor's prescription, such as some painkillers and cold remedies.

In Turkish: reçetesiz, reçetesiz satılan

How it is used

Shortened to OTC. Doctors ask about over-the-counter medicines and herbal products because patients often forget to mention them. It has hyphens before a noun but not after a verb: 'You can buy it over the counter.'

Example sentences

  1. Are you taking any over-the-counter medicines or herbal supplements?

  2. Ibuprofen is available over the counter in lower strengths.

Common collocations

  • over-the-counter medicines
  • buy over the counter
  • OTC painkillers
  • over-the-counter remedies
  • prescriptionA doctor's written or electronic instruction saying which medicine a patient should get, how much, how often and for how long.
  • analgesicA medicine that relieves pain, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or morphine; patients usually call it a painkiller.
  • side effectAn effect of a medicine or treatment that is not the main one intended, and is often unwanted, such as drowsiness or an upset stomach.
  • doseThe amount of a medicine taken or given at one time, for example 500 mg, often stated together with how often it is taken.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Prescriptions and Medication

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.