Before you choose and consume over-the-counter medicine, you should know the basics about reading and understanding the Drug Facts Label.
- Understand the purpose of each component of the Drug Facts Label.
- Develop strategies to use Drug Facts Labels when managing medication.
- Support the fact that over-the-counter medications are drugs.
2-3 class periods
Most teenagers use over-the-counter medicines on a regular basis, but they might not consider them drugs. They are also unfamiliar with the important information that is on the package. This lesson reinforces the importance of reading the Drug Facts Label and understanding the information that the label provides the consumer.
Reading—Over-the-Counter Medicines are Drugs
PowerPoint Presentation—All You Wanted to Know About the Drug Facts Label
Drug Facts Label Scramble Worksheet
Drug Facts Label Scramble Key
Drug Facts Label Handouts
Over-the-Counter Medicine Scavenger Hunt
Over-the-Counter Medicine Scavenger Hunt Answer Sheet
Over-the-Counter Medicine Scavenger Hunt Key
- Show the class a few over-the-counter medicine packages. Ask them the following questions to start them thinking about OTCs:
- What are these?
- Where can you buy them?
- When you take OTCs, do you read the label or does someone just hand you the medicine?
2. Distribute the article, Over-the-Counter Medicines are Drugs, and ask students to read silently. Briefly discuss the reading.
3. View PowerPoint Presentation—All You Wanted to Know About the Drug Facts Label.
4. Distribute the Drug Facts Label Scramble Worksheet and ask students to complete it individually to check their understanding and to review the parts of the Label.
1. Ask students to self-correct the Drug Facts Label Scramble. Reinforce the importance of reading the Label carefully before taking any medicine.
2. Divide the group into small working groups of two to three students.
3. Distribute the following items to each group:
- Drug Facts Label Handouts
- Over-the-Counter Medicine Scavenger Hunt
- Over-the-Counter Medicine Scavenger Hunt Blank Answer Sheet
4. Instruct groups to complete the Scavenger Hunt using the Label Handouts. To answer questions 16 and 20 students may need access to the Internet. (Prompts: Question #16 – DMX abuse is called “skittling” or “robotripping;” Question #20 – there are 64 to 120 mg of caffeine in a cup of drip coffee.)
1. Correct the Over-the-Counter Medicine Scavenger Hunt.
2. Discuss the questions at the end of the Scavenger Hunt with the large group.
1. Explain five reasons why you should always read the Drug Facts Label before taking medicine.
2. You are really sore and stiff after the first track practice of the year. A friend offers you three pain relief pills and they look similar to what you usually take. State why you would or would not take the medicine and defend your answer with facts.
3. Discuss the common perception that “an over-the-counter medicine isn’t a drug.”
4. Analyze how packaging and marketing can lead to an active ingredient overdose.
1. Provide students with the first letter for each word in the Drug Facts Label Scramble Worksheet.
2. Allow students to use the Drug Facts Label Handouts as reference when completing the Scramble.
3. Allow students to complete the Scavenger Hunt six questions at a time, correcting after each section.
4. Copy the answers to the Scavenger Hunt without the question numbers. Ask students to match the answers to the questions.
5. Encourage students to share the information they have learned in this lesson with family and friends. Ask them to report on those discussions during an upcoming class.
6. Assign students to lead the large group through the Scavenger Hunt Discussion Questions.