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SALT LAKE CITY — The Food and Drug Administration is considering a proposal that would make it easier for patients to get some popular prescription drugs over the counter.
The issue has generated debate for some time, but interest is intensifying because public comment on the proposal is due by May 7. The FDA is expected to make a decision sometime after that.
The debate is pitting doctors against pharmacists.
Those who support the proposal say it gives patients the convenience of not having to go to an expensive doctor's appointment to get a prescription. Under the plan, a patient needing blood pressure medication, for example, could go online or visit a pharmacy kiosk, then answer a number of questions about their condition. They also could consult with a pharmacist.
- Some kinds of high blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Migraine
- High cholesterol
But doctors object, saying health complications and the drug's side effects would not be taken into account.
Dr. Steve Urban, a Texas Tech professor of internal medicine said, "These medicines have some potential side effects. Statins can affect muscle performance and cause muscle achiness, and muscle enzymes can also affect the liver."
Doctors maintain they're a key link in making sure patients are gmedicated and regulated properly. Urban said doctors are in a position to monitor tests and things like blood pressure.
Pharma-Times reports the FDA currently approves switches from prescription-only to OTC status only if the manufacturer presents studies to show that consumers are able to take the product correctly and safely. But even that is no guarantee the drug will go over-the-counter.
Some say under the proposal, many people will pay more for drugs because insurance doesn't cover over-the-counter medication.
The Obama administration has interest in this policy because in theory, it could ease money pressure on federal programs like Medicare.
