Over-the-counter medicines play an essential role in keeping consumers and the community healthy. They also help reduce costs across the system — to the tune of $146 billion. This article explains how increasing access to these medicines supports consumer needs in ways that can improve both their health and their relationship with their health plan. In fact, for some, dollars to spend on something as simple as a toothbrush and toothpaste could change their co-morbidity. With this in mind, it's not difficult to understand how an OTC program could boost overall consumer satisfaction to 96 percent.