Survey: Adults have trouble picking appropriate treatments for cough symptoms

NEW YORK Consumers can be expected to self-identify a cough, and even locate a cough remedy in the nonprescription aisles. But consumers cannot be expected to distinguish between dextromethorphan and guaifenesin necessarily. Both are indicated for cough relief, but work in entirely different ways. For that you need a readily accessible healthcare professional, such as the pharmacist or nurse practitioner.

That’s important for druggists to remember this flu season. Drug Store News has seen a great deal of education around H1N1 — who needs the shots, what symptoms differentiates the flu from the cold or other upper respiratory ailments, etc. — but it’s the pharmacist and/or nurse practitioner who have the opportunity to really take some of the mystery out of the nonprescription aisle.