FDA weighs allowing more behind-the-counter drugs

WASHINGTON – A change may be brewing for U.S. drugstores: The government is mulling more “behind-the-counter” sales, to let patients buy certain medicines directly from pharmacists without a doctor’s prescription.

The Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that it was seeking public reaction to such a switch.

Today, most U.S. drugs either require a prescription or are sold in a traditional over-the-counter method – no prescription required, just grab a bottle and head for the cashier.

“Behind-the-counter” sales offer a middle ground. Last year, the FDA allowed the emergency contraceptive Plan B, also called the morning-after pill, to be sold without a doctor’s note to women 18 and older – but only by pharmacies that checked women’s photo identification.

Now the question is whether requiring additional interaction with a trained pharmacist might further spur the evolution of nonprescription drugs from quick symptom relief to more complex therapy.