Nonprescription drug abuse.

Nonprescription drug, also referred to as over-the-counter (OTC) abuse, is a serious and growing global health challenge. Drugs from many different therapeutic classes and numerous dosage forms and drug delivery systems are implicated in nonprescription drug abuse. Individuals who commonly abuse certain nonprescription medications are likewise diverse, varying in age, demographics, and overall health status. The clinician is in a unique position to assist in identifying those patients at risk for nonprescription drug abuse and those who are abusers, and may play an important role in intervention, patient care, and in the treatment of nonprescription drug abuse. A concise review of nonprescription drug abuse may be of use to the clinician in this regard.