Over‑the‑counter drug labels and mainstream consumer sites often do not make simple comparative risk judgments explicit (for example, acetaminophen causes many liver‑injury ED visits each year while ibuprofen overdoses are rarely lethal). That opacity leaves ordinary people relying on misleading intuitions and can produce preventable hospitalizations and deaths.
— Making comparative safety information and mechanistic uncertainty explicit on labels and public health guidance could materially reduce harm and should shape regulatory and clinical communication policy.
Article cites estimated U.S. annual harms for acetaminophen (56,000 ED visits, 2,600 hospitalizations, 500 deaths), interviews with doctors, and the absence of clear label guidance as the concrete problem.