The objective behind the proposed move is to cut down healthcare costs, said the FDA
Patients in the United States may soon be able to get cholesterol-lowering medication as well as other widely-used prescription drugs through mobile phone applications, without seeing a doctor.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in the latest draft guideline, outlined that patients can take help of such apps to determine whether they should be able to access medication without a prescription, reports Bloomberg.
The objective behind the proposed move is to cut down healthcare costs, said the FDA. “Our hope is that the steps we are taking to advance this new, more modern framework will contribute to lower costs for our healthcare system overall and provide greater efficiency and empowerment for consumers by increasing availability of certain products that would otherwise be available only by prescription,” read a statement by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, issued on July 17.
The move has been seen as a part of regulators’ strategy to find a way to expand access to widely-used prescription drugs. A new FDA regulation to make this draft regulation official and allowed to be implemented, is expected to come next year.
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According to Gottlieb’s statement, the proposed guideline would also be applicable on naloxone, the opioid-overdose antidote.
Before coming to any decision, the FDA has asked drug companies to submit data that shows consumers are capable of accurately assessing their need for medication and their ability to use it correctly.