Hi,

In recent years I have never been prescribed, by a doctor, either a Cox 11 inhibitor, or anything like ibuprophen/aspirin without also being prescribed a corresponding amount of stomach protection meds - proton-pump inhibitors like omeprazole, or others like Zantac, Tagomet or Cytotec.

These are all available OTC. If you're going to purchase an OTC medication then it's up to you to find out about what you're buying. If you're buying a med like ibuprophen, then the onus is on *you* to also purchase one of the stomach - protectors; it's not the pharmacist's fault if you decide to buy a drug with known side-effects, but not the drug to counteract the side-effect. The pharmacist properly told you about the dangers, it's up to you to heed them, and it's hardly his place to push drugs on you...

all the best.