Pharmacuticals

The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has to certify drugs for medical purposes. Other products that the FDA monitors and regulates include cosmetics and food products for consumer safety. Manufacturers must adhere to the FDA guidelines and standards for safety and truth in labeling, among others.

Product: Allegra, a nonsedating antihistamine available by prescription, alleviates seasonal allergy symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes.

Why important: One dose of 180 mg of Allegra can relieve allergy sufferers' symptoms up to four times longer than most over-the-counter allergy medicines.

Additional information: Allegra works by blocking the effects of histamine, a chemical that causes allergy symptoms in the body. This in turn relieves the allergy symptoms.

Product: Ibuprofen is distributed, marketed, and sold under the brand names Advil, Children's Advil/Motrin, Medipren, Motrin, Nuprin, Pediacare Fever, and others.

Why important: Ibuprofen helps users manage mild to moderate pain, fever, and inflammation by blocking the enzymes that makes chemicals within the body responsible for pain, fever, and inflammation, thus resulting in the reduction of pain, fever, and inflammation.

Additional information: Users should take Ibuprofen with meals. Some common side effects include rash, ringing in the ears, headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, and others, including ulceration of the stomach or intestines.

Product: Xanax belongs to a class of drugs called benzodiazepines, which causes neurochemical effects that relieve unbalanced brain chemistry leading to anxiety.

Why important: Xanax relieves anxiety, nervousness, and tension for those suffering from anxiety or panic disorders .

Additional information: Xanax XR serves a similar function to Xanax, but as an extended release medicine for panic disorder . Users of Xanax XR take the medicine once a day.