Pharmacy Times: Leading the Way

Pharmacy Times has been a constant source of up-to-date, practical information for the pharmacy community and has led the way in presenting valuable information on the OTC market—both in print and digital and online venues. And we’ve expanded our reach with this useful guide to OTC products in a special collaboration with U.S. News & World Report to help consumers make the most informed decisions, based on the expert opinions of our pharmacy readers.

Now more than ever, patients are turning to OTC products to help treat conditions such as allergies, arthritis, cough and cold, migraines, and GI issues, among the many health conditions pharmacists see on a daily basis. In addition to being cost-effective, OTC products offer a convenient option to patients for self-treatment. And with block-buster prescription drugs switching to OTC status, pharmacists are being called on more than ever before to make recommendations from among the 1000+ OTC brands available to patients.

The 2013 Pharmacy Times OTC Recommendations Survey asked thousands of pharmacists to declare their preferred recommendations on brands in 161 OTC categories. In the charts that follow, these products are organized by health section and in detailed charts that show the percentage of pharmacists’ recommendations each product received. The charts also show the total number of recommendations that retail pharmacy professionals make each month. As the pharmacist continues to counsel the consumer on OTC choices, our 2013 Pharmacy Times OTC Recommendations Survey provides guidance for pharmacists by showcasing the brands and products that were most highly recommended by their peers.

Since 2012, Pharmacy Times has been collaborating with U.S. News & World Report to bring these useful pharmacists’ top recommendations of OTC products directly to consumers. The leading brands will receive a “#1 Pharmacist Recommended” award issued jointly by Pharmacy Times and U.S. News & World Report. In some categories, where there is a small difference between the highest and second-highest recommended products, each is considered tied for the #1 award. As in past years, the OTC Guide also includes a list of Master’s Circle winners. These include those OTC products and brands that received 50% or more of pharmacist recommendations in a category. The 2013 Master's Circle winners are listed on pages 8 and 10.