FDA Approves 3 Drugs for the Switch From Prescription to Over the Counter
The Food and Drug Administration approved three drugs on Friday to switch from prescription status to being available over the counter: GlaxoSmithKline's (NYSE: GSK) Voltaren Arthritis Pain and two related allergy drugs from Alcon (NYSE: ALC).
The switch, which is typically initiated by the manufacturer, will likely come with a lower cost for the medications, but the companies hope to make up for it with higher volume since patients can walk into a pharmacy and get the medications off the shelf without seeing a doctor. Over the years, many pain, allergy, and heartburn drugs have made the switch after the FDA became more comfortable with their safety.
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Source Fool.com
