OTC Medicines

As state lawmakers continue to explore expanded responsibility for producers of products, a policy known as extended producer responsibility (EPR), it is likely manufacturer funded drug take-back laws will continue to be probed throughout the country.

In 1986, California voters overwhelmingly approved the State Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, commonly known as Proposition (Prop) 65. Prop 65 was designed to safeguard the state’s drinking water against chemicals known to the state to harm humans by requiring industry to inform Californians about exposures to such chemicals within the products or services they provide for sale to the public.

OTC medical devices like bandages, menstrual products, face masks, and at-home test kits, used for the purposes of prevention, testing, and treatment are well-accepted, cost saving elements of the healthcare system. Unfortunately, most states that have a retail sales tax, include a tax on the sale of some or all OTC healthcare products. More than 40 states, on the other hand, exempt sales tax of prescription drugs.

(PHILADELPHIA) – The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) today announced the election of two new board members following its November Board of Directors meeting in Philadelphia. The Association also announced the appointment of current CHPA board member, Greg Bradley, CEO of Foundation Consumer Healthcare, as Chair-Elect of the CHPA Board of Directors. Bradley will assume the two-year appointment as Board Chair in March 2025, when current CHPA Board Chair, Lisa Paley, President of Haleon’s North America Region, concludes her term.

(PHILADELPHIA) – The Consumer Healthcare Product’s Association’s (CHPA) Health In Hand Educational Foundation held its 9th Annual Gala last night at The Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia. The widely attended fundraiser brought together 350 attendees from 98 companies across the self-care industry to celebrate and support the Foundation’s critical consumer-focused work to help people live happier, healthier lives through responsible self-care. In addition to highlighting Health In Hand’s key 2024 educational initiatives, the event program also included the announcement of the Foundation’s new board member, Mark Pearson, Reckitt’s Vice President of Marketing Health, and the winners of the 2024 U.S. Self-Care Marketing Awards.

“The president-elect has announced his intention to nominate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The Consumer Healthcare Products Association’s (CHPA) President and CEO Scott Melville released the following statement today in response to FDA’s Proposed Order regarding the status of over-the-counter (OTC) phenylephrine (PE):

Despite the critical role sunscreens play in a healthy self-care routine, some state lawmakers are working to restrict sales of chemical sunscreens and key ingredients due to perceived environmental and human health impacts.