To ask the right kind of questions and to offer the right kind of advice requires more than just appropriate technical knowledge. It requires a ()of the patient as an individual and the development of interpersonal skills which will facilitate good communication. The only thing that differentiates the OTC drug department in a pharmacy from a similar department in a food store is the Pharmacist. Appropriate assertiveness as a practicing health professional is the key to retaining and enlarging a satisfied well-educated clientele. The misuse of opium was limited to particular groups as in the misuse of narcotics at the present day. In another field, it might be pointed out that modern man is accustomed to dealing with high-risk products (motorcycles, electricity) provided that the risks involved are well-defined.