title: Asthma medications should be available for over-the-counter use: con.
abstract: The United States Food and Drug Administration recently considered a policy to transfer inhaled short-acting bronchodilators to over-the-counter status if conditions of safe use can be established. The American Thoracic Society filed a comment in opposition to the proposal. This article examines the negative consequences that might result from allowing nonprescription access to bronchodilators and other inhaled asthma medications. Such a proposed policy change conflicts directly with current guidelines for asthma management and would undermine efforts to achieve adequate asthma control in patients. In addition, a policy change to convert asthma medications to over-the-counter status could result in increased costs to patients as well as increased health care costs to society overall due to a worsening of asthma control in the population.
authors: Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors: Laura J H
authors: LJ
authors: Milgram
mesh_terms: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000600:supply & distribution* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000600:supply & distribution* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs
keywords: asthma treatment; health policy; over-the-counter medications