Comments on over-the-counter drugs changes.

Consumer Alert filed comments with the Food and Drug Administration in July concerning a proposal to make certain allergy drugs available over the counter (OTC) instead of by a doctor's prescription.

CA opposed the petition, finding that the petition requested FDA to make a determination based primarily on economic considerations rather than scientific ones. Such scientific decisions are beyond FDA's primary function as a health and safety regulator.

One pitfall seen by CA is the possibility that a switch to OTC status would result in higher prices for many consumers who would no longer find much of the drug costs covered by their health plans.

There was also a concern that the change in status was not initiated by the manufacturers. A drug manufacturer presumably has more safety information about which drugs should be available without a doctor's prescription than the pharmacy that proposed the switch in status to FDA.