Is there such thing as prescription strength otc?

[Bonnie]

Is it possible to have an over the counter diet pill that is just as powerful as a prescription drug or is that impossible because everything that strong is actually legally a prescription medication? I see the expression “prescription strength” used a lot in otc pill ads, but I’m not sure if I should take that literally.

[TroyBurger]

I know what you mean, Bonnie. Honestly, I don't think there is such thing as "prescription strength" OTC pills. Because if they actually contained prescription strength ingredients they should then fall into the prescription strength drug category and have to undergo all of the special regulations that those types of drugs are subjected to. I think it's just a marketing strategy designed to make people think the pills contain ingredients that are just as strong or as effective as those found in prescription pills. I personally wouldn't take it literally.

[brightstar]

I looked into that recently. I was reading about Phentermine. Most studies see an average weight loss of 2-5 pounds for people taking that drug. So in my mind, it's really not that hard for a non-prescription to bring prescription strength results. Does that make sense?

[Firefly77]

I looked into that recently. I was reading about Phentermine. Most studies see an average weight loss of 2-5 pounds for people taking that drug. So in my mind, it's really not that hard for a non-prescription to bring prescription strength results. Does that make sense?

That's a really interesting discovery brightstar. I would have thought for sure the prescription pills would be stronger or more effective on the whole. Guess it really just boils down to eating right and exercising.

[WolfMoon]

As brightstar pointed out with the study, prescription diet drugs really aren't all that effective when you look at the average results. You can obtain OTC diet pills that are just as effective...but this isn't because they really do much to help you lose weight, it's because you still need to watch what you eat and exercise while you take them. Essentially, how much weight you lose when taking any diet pill, whether prescription or not, is dependent on your exercise regimen and what you eat. If you exercise regularly and continually burn off more calories than you ingest, you'll eventually lose fat. The pills have nothing to do with your overall success in the grand scheme of things.