The three main factors that motivate switching prescription drugs to over the counter drugs is first, the pharmaceutical firms' desire to extend the viability of brand names in the market, resulting to increase in product sale. Second, the healthcare funders try to contain the cost of prescription drugs and benefit from it by increasing the costs for most patients. Third factor is the self-care movement where drugs can be easily available especially to those uninsured patients.
Moreover, the switching of drugs will benefit all patients for they can self-diagnose and self-medicate, compared previously that they had to pay the full retail prescription price which is higher compare to over the counter drugs and the cost of physicians' visits.