Table 2:

Final Codebook with goals, sub-goals, plans (if applicable), term descriptions, and examples.

Final Codes
Goal	Sub-Goals	Plan	Task Description	Example Participant Quotes
0. Treat Symptoms with OTC		Plan 0: 1–2, then 3–4 in any order, then 5–6 in any order, then 7, then 8.	Highest-level goal that must be determined for the ensuing cognitive tasks to take place (not coded)	Overarching goal aligns with the scenario provided to them in the study (see Table 1).
1. Identify Category of Symptoms*			given the nature of this study, participants identify the category of symptoms by assessing which category of sleep, pain, cough, cold, or allergy, they most frequently experience / identify with the most	Interviewer: “So between sleep, pain, cough, colds, or allergy, what resonates more with you?” Participant: “Well, the allergies, asthma, that’s my problem” - Participant
2. Experience Symptoms*			given the nature of this study, “experience symptoms” is simulated by the interviewer, when they provide the scenario to the participant	The participant is given the symptoms they are experiencing in the scenario (see Table 1).
3. Locate OTC Symptom Category			represents the cognitive effort to determine where a symptom-specific OTC category might be located	“I’m looking for signs. Well, I would think it would be here with health and beauty. Well, I don’t see where their, even where their aspirin would be here, first aid. Okay. Well, we must be getting closer. Okay. Here’s vitamins, health, wellness, pain relief, cough, flu, allergy, and ear care. All right. Well, we must be in the right area here. Let’s see what they’ve got here.” - Participant
4. Identify First OTC			represents participant’s cognitive identification of the first OTC option that they may or may not select to manage their symptoms (can be verbal or physical)	“I’ve tried this [Unisom], and I take maybe one every four months or something, so I don’t use a lot.” - Participant
5. Assess		Plan 5: 5.1–5.10 in any order	participants assess the selected OTC using a variety of factors to determine whether an OTC should be selected and taken to treat their symptoms	-
	5.1 Assess Quantity		the number of dosage units in the package	“Well, I’m getting250 caplets for $17.99. I would probably look at it and get my calculator phone out and see which is the better deal. If I’m getting them here, I’m getting 100 caplets. They’re both 650 mg. I’m getting 250. But then I also look and say, okay, I’m only taking one a day, so maybe I’m better off going the 100 caplets that take me 100 days versus 250 days, because I don’t know on pain relievers if they lose their potency or not.” - Participant
	5.2 Assess Cost		the cost of the package
	5.3 Assess Form of Medication		liquid, tablet, caplet, soft-gel, dissolvable, etc.	“I want the dissolvable… I hate taking pills, and it works faster than the non-dissolvable, and that’s what I wanted was to use it to get to sleep” - Participant “I usually go for the generic brand that is comparable to it, and then I like the, just the capsules… I have
				difficulty, a lot of difficulty swallowing, and so the smaller, the easier to go down, the better.” - Participant
	5.4 Assess Safety		the perception of medication risk	“The only other thing about ibuprofen, it’s, it does have some effects on bleeding and blood pressure, sodium retention, and increases your risk for heart disease if you take it regularly, so I don’t take it a lot.” - Participant
	5.5 Assess Strength		the amount of active ingredient per dosage unit	“And I’m only going to take one, so I can do extra strength with one” - Participant
	5.6 Assess Regimen		dosage, frequency, pattern of use, etc.	“Well, if 250 days, and I’m only taking one a day, there’s some people that probably take maybe more than that a day. I’m only taking one a day, and as far as the regular arthritis, I’m not even usually taking one a day of the regular arthritis. The nighttime one, I am. The regular arthritis, I’m, like I said, maybe a couple a week.” - Participant
	5.7 Assess Past Experiences		the participant’s historical experience taking the selected medication	“Mentholatum, that reminds me of being a little kid and having rub on my chest, which I never was sure it worked. But it smelled good, so. I guess, no, probably I wouldn’t take any of these.” - Participant
				“But I know what to take from my past experiences” - Participant
	5.8 Assess Appropriateness of OTC for Symptoms		relating the purpose of the selected OTC to the symptoms experienced	“I take Sudafed for sinus and headache” - Participant “I tend to focus on this, you know, cold and flu (Nyquil) or there’s chest congestion. There’s a severe versus what looks like the mild for the Robitussin.” - Participant
	5.9 Assess Generic vs. Name Brand		a comparison of generic and name brand products	“Shopko has a pain relief which has the same acetaminophen that Tylenol has. So if this were, for example, on sale or if the Tylenol PM wasn’t available, I’d know it’s the same ingredient. It’s basically the same thing under different packaging” - Participant
	5.10 Assess Ingredients 5.10.1 Assess Active Ingredients 5.10.2 Assess Inactive Ingredients		assess ingredients to best treat symptoms experienced Active = active ingredients Inactive = dyes, other formulation ingredients, emoluments	“Okay. So I have no idea what cetirizine is. It’s an antihistamine. This one looks like it’d be pretty good for stopping, again, it’s got corn starch in it, which is okay.” - Participant
6. Consider Alternative		Plan 6: 6.1, then 6.2–6.3 in any order	considers an alternative OTC option	After a first product is identified and assessed, any additional product identified and assessed is considered to be an alternative.
	6.1 Identify Alternative OTC		cognitively identifies an alternative OTC option that may be used to treat symptoms
	6.2 Evaluate OTC	Plan 6.2: 5.1–5.10 in any order	assess the selected OTC using a variety of factors to determine whether an OTC should be selected and taken to treat their symptoms
	6.3 Evaluate relative to other picked OTC(s)	Plan 6.3: 5.1–5.10 in any order	assess the selected OTC in relation to another selected OTC using a variety of factors to determine whether an OTC should be selected and taken to treat their symptoms	“I think the Sudafed is more of a decongestion, as whereas, the Claritin is more of the antihistamine action, the antiallergy action. And I’ve already taken both with knowledge of my doctor and pharmacist. But I have fond I’m not taking the Sudafed particularly.” - Participant
7. Select Treatment			participant chooses a product	-
	7.1 Select Primary Treatment		participant chooses an OTC product(s)	“I would walk over here, and I would take Claritin. And I would probably take, in my case, a small one (Picks up a small box of Claritin)” - Participant
	7.2 Select Secondary Treatment  7.2.1 Decide that concurrent (OTC or non-OTC) product is needed	Plan 7.2: 3, then 4, then 5–6 in any order	participant chooses another product in relation to the primary treatment selected. Participant may determine secondary treatment is necessary.	“I would probably pick this one right here [Loratadine]… And if my nose is real stuffy, I will get these breathe strips” - Participant
8. Treat			Marks the end of the think-aloud interview.	“I would go with… the store brand, and I’d go with the 3 milligrams for $7.00.” - Participant

^*These tasks/goals are predefined due to the structure of the study. All other tasks/goals were deduced from study interviews.