The two main classes of drug products are which?

• A. Over-the-Counter and Prescriptions
• B. Prescriptions and OTC
• C. Legend Drugs and OTC
• D. Investigational and Approved

Answer: (B)

Think about how medicines are accessed by patients: some require a clinician’s order, while others can be bought without one. The two main classes are prescription medicines and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. Prescription items are dispensed only with a valid order from a licensed professional and often require monitoring for safety or dosing. OTC items are labeled for safe use by consumers without a prescription, as long as directions are followed. The other terms reflect different ideas—investigational and approved relate to development and regulatory status, while legend drugs is an older way of saying prescription drugs—so they don’t represent the broad everyday access categories in the same way.