Label List Medicine Things Warnings Include Understanding Drug

In the United States, prescription medications and "over-the-counter drugs" (medicines that can be bought without a doctor's permission) have labels that are intended to be read before the medicines are taken. The labels for all over-the-counter drugs must list the same seven things.

First, the label must list the active ingredients, or the chemicals that actually do something to improve one's health or make one feel better.

Second, the label must list the uses for the medicine. These are the "symptoms" (or the things that are wrong with someone) or diseases that can be helped with the medicine.

Third, the label must list warnings, or statements about what bad things might happen when one takes the medicine. "Common" warnings (or warnings that one sees on many labels) include warnings for pregnant women and warnings that it is important to keep the medicine away from children.

Fourth, the label must have a list of "inactive ingredients." These are the things that are in the medicine but do not have an effect on one's health. These could be the things that make the medicine have a different taste or color.

Fifth, the label should describe the medicine's "purpose" (or what it should do), like stopping a runny nose or making one cough less.

Sixth, the label must include "directions," or instructions for how much to take, and how often.

Seventh, the label can include other information, like how people should "store" (keep in their home when they are not using) the medicine.

In addition, the label has to let people know the "expiration date" (the date after which something should not be used), how much medicine is in the bottle, the name of the company that made the medicine, and what to do if one takes too much of the medicine.