Pharmacists, pharmaceuticals, and drug information in the 21st century.

The future holds great promise for the Rx-to-OTC switch, if we will collectively plan and manage that process. The impact of Rx-to-OTC switches will extend far beyond the technical and regulatory issues and implications. Certainly, pharmaceutical manufacturers, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Federal Trade Commission are at the center of this issue, but no less important are the roles of physicians, pharmacists, and consumers. The social and economical, and even logistical, aspects of the switch process should be considered as antecedents to an Rx-to-OTC switch policy, rather than as consequences to be measured after such a policy has been determined. Finally, the evolution of an Rx-to-OTC switch policy in the coming months and years should avoid the path of political and administrative expediency and it should avoid the consideration of special interests in isolation from the broader social context. The development of a sound Rx-to-OTC switch policy will occur only if the direction and demand truly comes from within the ranks of the consumers.