U.S. to Make More Drugs Easily Available, Cutting Role Docs Play
- FDA proposes way to increase number of nonprescription drugs
- Agency envisions easier access to drugs for chronic conditions
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Americans may soon be able to get cholesterol-lowering medications and other widely used prescription drugs without seeing a doctor, a first step in what could amount to sweeping changes to how patients access treatments for chronic conditions.
The Food and Drug Administration in a draft guideline on Tuesday outlined how such a status, which the agency said could help lower health-care costs, would work. Patients could answer questions on a mobile-phone app to help determine whether they should be able to access a medication without a prescription.