1 Have you ever taken an over-the-counter medicine for pain, such as aspirin, Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Aleve or some other pain medication?

85% YES

14% NO

1% DON’T KNOW

2 Why did you take the over-the-counter pain medication? Any other reasons? [DO NOT READ LIST. RECORD AS MANY AS APPLY]

8 % ARTHRITIS

14% BACK PAIN

3% DENTAL PAIN

68% HEADACHE

-- MORNING STIFFNESS

14% MUSCULAR ACHE

4% SEVERE MENSTRUAL PAIN [FEMALES ONLY]

3% SPORTS OR EXERCISE RELATED PAIN

16% OTHER [SPECIFY]

3% DON’T KNOW

3 Regarding over-the-counter pain medications only, please tell me whether you agree strongly, agree, disagree or disagree strongly with each of the following statements. [READ AND ROTATE STATEMENTS]

Percentage that Agree or Strongly Agree

23% Over-the-counter medications are safer than prescription medications

82% You always take the over-the-counter medicine according to the directions on the
package

16% It is all right to take the over-the-counter medicine as often as you want to as long
as it manages your pain

87% You should not take an over-the-counter pain medicine for longer than 10 days
without talking to a doctor

17% There are no serious risks when you take an over-the-counter pain medicine

31% Over-the-counter medicines are just as effective as prescription medicines

87% Some over-the-counter pain medications can cause serious adverse reactions

13% If you take more of the medicine the pain will go away faster

29% You don’t usually read the directions on the over-the-counter medication package
because you know how much to take

64% Even though there are risks with taking some over-the-counter pain medications, I
take them because it is more important to control the pain

4 Thinking about the package or container of the over-the-counter pain medication that you take most often -- are you aware of any side effects or risks that are mentioned on the label? If so, please tell me what those side effects are. [PROBE FULLY FOR SPECIFICS]

25% STOMACH PROBLEMS

10% NAUSEA/VOMITING

5% UPSET STOMACH

4% BLEEDING IN STOMACH/GASTRIC BLEEDING

3% STOMACH PROBLEMS (UNSPECIFIED)

3% STOMACH ACHE/PAIN

1% ULCERS

1% STOMACH IRRITATION

10% LIVER PROBLEMS

6% LIVER DAMAGE

3% LIVER PROBLEMS

-- LIVER FAILURE

1% ALL OTHER LIVER PROBLEMS MENTIONS

9% DROWSINESS

7% DIZZINESS

4% PROBLEMS WITH BLOOD

2% BLEEDING (UNSPECIFIED)

2% THINNING OF BLOOD

1% CLOTTING/CLOTS

-- ALL OTHER PROBLEMS WITH BLOOD MENTIONS

2% SKIN PROBLEMS

2% RASH

-- SKIN IRRITATION

-- ALL OTHER SKIN PROBLEMS MENTIONS

2% DIARRHEA

2% RAISE/HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

2% KIDNEY PROBLEMS

1% KIDNEY DAMAGE

1% KIDNEY PROBLEMS

-- KIDNEY FAILURE

-- ALL OTHER KIDNEY PROBLEMS MENTIONED

2% HEART PROBLEMS

1% HEART PROBLEMS (UNSPECIFIED)

-- HEART ATTACK

1% ALL OTHER HEART PROBLEMS MENTIONS

2% HEADACHE

1% ALLERGIC REACTIONS (UNSPECIFIED)

1% DRY MOUTH
1% SHORTNESS OF BREATH

1% ADDICTION

1% NERVOUSNESS

5% AL OTHER SIDE EFFECTS/RISKS MENTIONS

7% CONTRAINDICATIONS (NET)

2% DON’T TAKE IF PREGNANT

2% DON’T TAKE WITH ALCOHOL

2% DON’T TAKE IF HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

1% DON’T TAKE IF DIABETIC

1% DON’T TAKE IF HAVE ASTHMA

-- DON’T TAKE IF HAVE HEART PROBLEMS

2% ALL OTHER CONTRAINDICATIONS MENTIONS

3% PROPER DOSAGE/DON’T OVERDOSE

2% DRUG INTERACTIONS (UNSPECIFIED)

1% DON’T DRIVE/OPERATE MACHINERY

-- OTHER

16% NONE

31% DON’T KNOW

5 Have you ever talked to a health professional, such as your doctor or pharmacist, about over-the-counter pain medications?

58% YES

41% NO

1% DON’T KNOW

6 What are the things you discussed with a health professional about over-the-counter pain medications? What else? [DO NOT READ LIST. RECORD CHOICES WHICH MOST CLOSELY DESCRIBE RESPONDENT’S ANSWERS]

17% INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER OTCS OR PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS

2% INTERACTIONS WITH DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

2% HOW TO USE TO HELP PREVENT HEART ATTACK

26% PROPER DOSAGE

10% PROPER LENGTH OF TIME TO TAKE THE MEDICATION

2% RISK OF LIVER DAMAGE

2% RISK OF STOMACH BLEEDING OR ULCERS

4% RISK OF TAKING CONTINUOUSLY

1% HOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED OR HAVE DIED AS A
RESULT OF TAKING PAIN MEDICATIONS

25% WHICH ONES TO TAKE FOR PARTICULAR PAIN

1% RISK OF KIDNEY DAMAGE

19% OTHER [SPECIFY]

8% DON’T KNOW

7 What type of over-the-counter pain medicine do you take MOST often? [READ AND ROTATE. RECORD ONE ANSWER]

36% Ibuprofen, Advil or Motrin

16% Aspirin

8% Naproxen or Aleve

4% Excedrin

32% Acetaminophen or Tylenol

-- NSAID

1% OTHER [SPECIFY]

3% DON’T KNOW/NONE

[ASK FOR MENTION IN N7[1-6]

8 Which adverse reactions or side effects would you associate with [INSERT ITEM]? What others? [DO NOT READ LIST. RECORD AS MANY AS APPLY]

A. Ibuprofen, Advil or Motrin

-- ADDICTION

-- HEART PROBLEMS

4% KIDNEY PROBLEMS

8% LIVER PROBLEMS

13% NAUSEA

2% SLEEPLESSNESS

11% STOMACH BLEEDING OR ULCERS

7% OTHER [SPECIFY]

33% NO SIDE EFFECTS OR ADVERSE REACTIONS

24% DON’T KNOW

B. Aspirin

2% ADDICTION

3% HEART PROBLEMS

1% KIDNEY PROBLEMS

2% LIVER PROBLEMS

13% NAUSEA

3% SLEEPLESSNESS

23% STOMACH BLEEDING OR ULCERS

12% OTHER [SPECIFY]

29% NO SIDE EFFECTS OR ADVERSE REACTIONS

19% DON’T KNOW

C. Naproxen or Aleve

-- ADDICTION

-- HEART PROBLEMS

1% KIDNEY PROBLEMS

3% LIVER PROBLEMS

10% NAUSEA

-- SLEEPLESSNESS

6% STOMACH BLEEDING OR ULCERS

9% OTHER [SPECIFY]

45% NO SIDE EFFECTS OR ADVERSE REACTIONS

29% DON’T KNOW

D. Excedrin

3% ADDICTION

-- HEART PROBLEMS

-- KIDNEY PROBLEMS

-- LIVER PROBLEMS

9% NAUSEA

6% SLEEPLESSNESS

6% STOMACH BLEEDING OR ULCERS

15% OTHER [SPECIFY]

45% NO SIDE EFFECTS OR ADVERSE REACTIONS

22% DON’T KNOW

E. Acetaminophen or Tylenol

1% ADDICTION

-- HEART PROBLEMS

2% KIDNEY PROBLEMS

10% LIVER PROBLEMS

9% NAUSEA

3% SLEEPLESSNESS

4% STOMACH BLEEDING OR ULCERS

5% OTHER [SPECIFY]

43% NO SIDE EFFECTS OR ADVERSE REACTIONS

27% DON’T KNOW

F. NSAID

-- ADDICTION

-- HEART PROBLEMS

-- KIDNEY PROBLEMS

-- LIVER PROBLEMS

-- NAUSEA

-- SLEEPLESSNESS

-- STOMACH BLEEDING OR ULCERS

-- OTHER [SPECIFY]

-- NO SIDE EFFECTS OR ADVERSE REACTIONS

1% DON’T KNOW

9 Have you ever experienced any of the following after taking an over-the-counter pain reliever such as Advil, Tylenol or Aleve? [READ AND ROTATE. RECORD AS MANY AS APPLY]

14% Upset stomach

9% Nausea

1% Ulcers

7% Heartburn

1% Bleeding stomach problems

1% OTHER [SPECIFY]

80% DON’T KNOW/NONE

10 If you have any side effects or adverse reactions to an over-the-counter pain medication what do you do? What else? [DO NOT READ LIST. RECORD AS MANY AS APPLY]

1% TAKE A STOMACH OR HEARTBURN MEDICINE

30% STOP TAKING THE MEDICINE

46% TALK TO MY DOCTOR

21% TALK TO A PHARMACIST

1% CONSULT WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY

-- CHECK THE INTERNET FOR INFORMATION

1% SWITCH TO A DIFFERENT PRODUCT

8% OTHER [SPECIFY]

16% NOTHING/DON'T HAVE SIDE EFFECTS

9% DON’T KNOW

11 Would any of the following statements make you think that over-the-counter pain medicines such as aspirin, Ibuprofen, Tylenol or Aleve could have some risks? [READ AND ROTATE. RECORD AS MANY AS APPLY]

57% Every year there are about 16,500 deaths and 107,000 hospitalizations for serious
side effects, such as bleeding ulcers, associated with some pain medicines

38% There are more harmful drug reactions from over-the-counter pain medicines than
from any other type of medicine

52% Risk of stomach bleeding increases by as much as three times with the use of some
over-the-counter pain relievers

59% The risk of serious side effects, such as stomach bleeding, increases as the daily
dose of certain over-the-counter pain medicines increases

20% DON’T KNOW/NONE OF THESE