There are number of differences between the over the counter and prescription pain relief medications. Over the counter medicines are used for healing pain due to minor ailments like coughs, headaches and indigestion. On the other hand, prescription medication is mostly used for treating pain arising due to major illnesses like arthritis, heart disease etc. Over the counter medications are mild medicines which can be taken by both children and adults. Whereas, the formulation of the prescription medication is more potent, therefore, it mostly caters towards relieving pain related distresses among adults.

One of the major differences between the two types of medications is access. Over the counter medication is easily available at the counter of any medical store. Significantly, the prescription medicines can only accessed by people with a due prescription of the medical practitioner. Further, the prescribed pain medicines are only meant for the specific patient and cannot be shared by any other person. On the other hand, over the counter pain medicines can be shared by a friend as well as any family member suffering from pain. Prescription based pain relievers are protected by some patent laws, whereas the formula of the over the counter pain relieving drugs isn’t any proprietary secret.