Common GI complaints that can generally be managed with nonprescription treatments and self-care include belching, heartburn, indigestion, acid reflux, sour stomach, and nausea. Nausea accounts for 324,000 emergency department visits for patients aged 65 years and older. Patients also seek quick relief from other common and bothersome intestinal and bowel symptoms and conditions such as bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, and constipation. Constipation leads to at least 2.5 million physician visits per year in the United States.
Gastrointestinal distress
Lactose digestive aid (n = 585)
Lactaid............................................. 67%
Schiff Digestive Advantage................... 1%
Walgreens.......................................... 1%
Equate............................................... 1%
Kirkland............................................. 1%
Diarrhea relief (n = 618)
Imodium.......................................... 66%
Pepto Bismol...................................... 9%
Kaopectate......................................... 1%
CVS Health......................................... 1%
Equate............................................... 1%
Gas relief (n = 572)
Gas-X.............................................. 61%
Mylicon.............................................. 7%
Phazyme............................................ 2%
Gasex................................................ 2%
Beano................................................ 1%
Hemorrhoid relief (n = 571)
Preparation H................................... 61%
Tucks................................................ 7%
Anusol............................................... 3%
CVS Health......................................... 1%
Walgreens.......................................... 1%
Upset stomach relief (n = 564)
Pepto Bismol.................................... 52%
Tums............................................... 10%
Pepcid Complete................................. 4%
Maalox............................................... 3%
Emetrol.............................................. 3%
Fiber supplement (n = 629)
Metamucil........................................ 48%
Benefiber......................................... 12%
FiberCon............................................ 6%
Fiber One........................................... 2%
Citrucel.............................................. 1%
Stool softener (n = 545)
Colace.............................................. 48%
Dulcolax........................................... 12%
Walgreens.......................................... 2%
CVS Health......................................... 2%
Senna-S............................................. 2%
Heartburn relief (n = 575)
Tums............................................... 35%
Pepcid............................................. 18%
Prilosec OTC...................................... 8%
Nexium.............................................. 4%
Mylanta.............................................. 3%
Laxative (n = 560)
MiraLAX........................................... 25%
Dulcolax........................................... 23%
Senokot............................................. 7%
Colace............................................... 6%
Ex-Lax............................................... 3%
Nausea treatment/Relief (n = 591)
Dramamine-N................................... 20%
Emetrol............................................ 19%
Pepto Bismol.................................... 10%
Bonine............................................... 4%
Nauzene............................................. 3%
Self-care survey redux
This section of Pharmacy Today’s Self-Care Product Survey is reprinted from the full survey results published in the January 2023 issue of the magazine and available online at pharmacytoday.org.
The current survey was conducted using scientifically valid methodology and determines those nonprescription products most often recommended by pharmacists in the United States to consumers.
The winners were selected based on a survey of 1,682 pharmacists practicing in the United States who gave their unaided write-in opinions on which brands they’d recommend to patients in 86 categories. The highest share of citations as Most Trusted in the category determined the winner. If the margin of citation share between the leading brands did not exceed the estimate of sampling error at 90% statistical confidence, a tie was declared.
The n value given for each category represents the total number of responding pharmacists’ recommendations.
Please also see APhA’s Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs, the definitive source of professional information about OTC products. The Handbook is available online at PharmacyLibrary.com or in print in the bookstore at www.pharmacist.com/publications/books.
These data may not be used without the prior permission of APhA.