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Article: Panel recommends over-the-counter allergy drugs; FDA: Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec could be available without a prescription
- Article from:
- Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque)
- Article date:
- May 12, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2001 Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque). Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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GAITHERSBURG, Md. (AP) - Three popular allergy medications are
safe enough to be sold without prescription, a federal advisory
panel ruled Friday in an unprecedented case that could save the
health-insurance industry billions of dollars but increase costs for
many consumers.
Acting on a petition by WellPoint Health Networks of Thousand
Oaks, Calif., the Food and Drug Administration panel recommended
that Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec be made available over the
counter, without supervision by a doctor.
The vote was 19-4 each for Claritin and Zyrtec, and 18-5 for
Allegra. The FDA is not required to follow the recommendations of
the panel, but usually does so.
Dr. John Jenkins, of the FDA, said ...