Drug Labels To Be Easier To Understand

Americans will no longer have to pull out a magnifying glass and a dictionary to pick the best drugstore remedy, the government said Wednesday as it unveiled simpler labels for over-the-counter medicines.

The Food and Drug Administration proposal aims to help consumers tell at a glance how to properly use a nonprescription drug, its side effects and when to see a doctor - information now often buried in fine print and baffling medical jargon.

It’s the same sort of simplified label the FDA put on foods in 1994 to help consumers figure out nutrition, and it comes as Americans are turning to over-the-counter remedies four times as often as they consult a doctor.

Yet until now only a few members of the $18 billion nonprescription drug industry voluntarily produced easy-to-read instructions