A look at the safety profile of over-the-counter naproxen sodium: A meta-analysis

As the trend for Americans to self-medicate continues to increase, if becom es important to review the safety of over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Th is article will review the safety of an OTC analgesic, Aleve(R) (naproxen s odium). The objective of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the frequency of occurrence of all adverse events in subjects taking various doses of OTC n aproxen sodium as compared to placebo. These varying doses and dosage regim ens were studied individually and consisted of 220 to 880 mg administered i n single, multiple, and PRN las needed) doses of naproxen sodium. This meta -analysis confirmed the favorable safety profile of naproxen sodium at OTC doses and established that the overall occurrence of adverse events with na proxen sodium was comparable and in some cases significantly lower than pla cebo. These results indicate that treatment with naproxen sodium may be hig hly beneficial from a clinical and economical perspective and safe when adh ering to labeled directions. (C) 2001 the American College of Clinical Phar macology.