The need for health care, and thus the cost of health care, is growing significantly worldwide due to the increasing life expectancy of the population, the emergence of new drugs, and due to the greater awareness of individuals about their own health. Therefore, the governments of some countries are trying to rationalize the growth of government spending on health. One of the successful ways is to save in the field of medicines, ie to encourage responsible self-treatment for minor health problems with the help of over-the-counter medicines. Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are intended for self-medication and can be sold directly to the consumer at a pharmacy without a prescription. OTC drugs have been on the market for many years and their list is growing day by day. Due to the growing choice of OTC drugs and increased competitiveness, pharmaceutical companies are investing heavily in marketing communication with the aim of attracting consumers, encouraging purchases and creating consumer loyalty. On the other hand, the consumers are confused due to the excessive supply of OTC drugs and it is necessary to inform them in a timely manner and position in theirs mind with adequate marketing communication. Therefore, the subject of this research is to examine the role of different forms of marketing communication in the purchase of OTC drugs. In addition, the difference between traditional and non-traditional forms of marketing communication in informing consumers about the properties of OTC drugs will be analysed, and the effectiveness of different advertising media with regard to consumer demographics will be explored. The importance of the verbal and visual features of the outer packaging when purchasing OTC medicine will also be determined. For the purposes of empirical research, the survey method will be used. The research was conducted on a sample of 482 consumers of OTC drugs in the Republic of Croatia. Descriptive and inferential statistical procedures will be used to analyse the data. The results showed that consumers are most often informed about the properties of OTC drugs by pharmacists and online, however, there is no statistically significant difference in the frequency of OTC drug purchase between participants who heard about the OTC drug through traditional forms of marketing communication and participants who heard about the OTC drug through a non-traditional form of marketing communication. It was found that consumers consider TV and the Internet to be the most effective medium for informing about OTC medicine, while they assessed radio and newspapers and magazines as somewhat less effective. It was also shown that participants rated the verbal features of OTC drug packaging significantly more important than the visual features. In addition, the results showed that the greatest impact on the purchase of OTC drugs by consumers has a doctor's recommendation and pharmacist's advice. The results of this research can help pharmaceutical marketers who design marketing campaigns to keep OTC drug consumers adequately informed, to increase demand for a particular OTC drug, and ultimately to increase profits. In addition, successful marketing communication will timely inform consumers about the existence of a new OTC drug on the market and thus enable the treatment of minor health problems without spending time going to the doctor.