Benefits of OTC Medications to Treat URIs: Fact Sheet

Share page:

About the Study

  • Purpose of the study was to compare the costs of upper respiratory infection (URI) treatment with over-the-counter (OTC) medications versus non-treatment
  • Researchers created a decision analytic model incorporating a series of key factors associated with the treatment of URIs, including:
    • Impact on work productivity including lost time from work and on the job productivity losses
    • OTC medicine use and side effects
    • Physician care by phone and in office
    • Antibiotic use and side effects
    • Emergency department care
    • Hospital admission for complications of URI and complications of antibiotic use
  • Costs were taken from average wholesale prices, MEPS 2001, Medicare payments and medical literature
  • OTC medication use was $9 per URI episode less expensive than non-treatment ($184 compared to $193)
  • With an average of three URI episodes per year1 among Americans age 18 to 65, this translates into potential savings of $4.75 billion
  • The study was conducted by researchers at Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, and sponsored by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA)

About Upper Respiratory Infections (URIs)

  • URIs may be caused by a variety of factors including the common cold, acute bronchitis, influenza, and chronic or acute sinusitis
  • Viruses cause the common cold, most coughs, and the flu while bacteria cause conditions like strep throat and bacterial sinus infections2
  • While rarely serious, URIs may contribute to bothersome symptoms such as runny nose, fever, malaise, sore throat, headache, cough, and ear pain
  • URIs are generally contagious and are spread by sneezing, coughing, and other contact
  • Americans suffer from about 1 billion colds each year3
  • Average adults suffer from two to four colds per year1; some suffer from up to 12 colds per year3
  • Approximately 15 million work days are lost each year in the United States due to the common cold3 and each episode results in a loss of 8.7 work hours4
  • OTC medications are used to relieve the symptoms of viral URIs5

1 American Lung Association. The Common Cold. Available at
http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/s/content.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=34706&ct=67321. Accessed Aug. 18, 2004.
2 Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work. Available at
http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/community//files/CDC_parents_brochure1.pdf. Accessed Sep 27, 2004.
3 Food and Drug Administration. Colds and Flu: Time Only Sure Cure. Article originally appeared in the October 1996 FDA
Consumer; updates to article made in March 1997, February 1998, and May 1999. Available at
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/896_flu.html. Accessed Aug. 18, 2004.
4 Bramely, T, Lerner, D, Sarnes, M. Productivity Losses Related to the Common Cold. Journal of Occupational and Environmental
Medicine. 2002 Sept; 44 (9): 822-9.
5 National Library of Medicine. National Institutes of Health. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Available at
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000678.htm. Accessed Sep 27, 2004.

Document(s) to download:
Issues:

Related Posts

CHPA Statement on Valisure Citizen Petition