What are examples of over-the-counter medications that can interact with prescription drugs?
Over-the-counter medications can include vitamins, herbal supplements, pain relievers and cold remedies. It can also include alcohol, tobacco and caffeine. The number of chemicals we put in our bodies on a daily basis is pretty great. There’s a myth that if you’re taking an over-the-counter or natural health product that means it’s safe and it doesn’t interact with anything. That’s just not true. Natural or over-the-counter does not equal safe. Q: Why would an older person be at risk? There are a couple of reasons. Older persons may have more than one chronic medical condition that they’re dealing with; examples would be diabetes, heart failure, arthritis – and the result is different doctors can prescribe medications. A prescription cascade can occur where a side effect of one medication is viewed as a new medical condition and another medication is added. A side effect of the second medication is treated with a third, etc. Without one person coordinating the prescriptions, you can en
