The Food and Drug Administration announced that it has approved an amended application submitted by Teva Women’s Health to market Plan B One-Step (active ingredient levonorgestrel) for use without a prescription by women 15 years and older.

Just about every healthcare practitioner recommends over-the-counter medicines to their patients. And nearly 3-out-of-4 make that OTC recommendation as the first therapy option, according to a recent survey released by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association.

This is another proof point that OTC medicines play an important role in holding down cost.

Patients around the country "strongly" oppose laws that have been proposed to change popular OTC drugs to prescription-only, according to a new survey.

As many as 26% of consumers increased their usage of over-the-counter products in the past year, according to an online survey of more than 900 AccentHealth viewers conducted in September. Anticipated increases in OTC use for the upcoming year are driven by those who have already reported a rise in usage in the past year.


The Food and Drug Administration's Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee on Friday voted against Merck's application to switch its Oxytrol patch from prescription-only to over the counter, citing concerns over use of therapy for an overactive bladder in women without a doctor's intervention.

Perrigo has received tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its abbreviated new drug application to market over-the-counter omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate capsules in the 20-mg/1,100-mg strength, the store-brand equivalent to Merck's Zegerid OTC.

The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association are mobilizing communities to stop prescription and over-the-counter medicine abuse during National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month, the groups announced Monday.

The Food and Drug Administration has accepted a regulatory application for an opioid painkiller made by Zogenix, the company said Monday.

Drug maker Gilead Sciences has submitted a regulatory approval application to the Food and Drug Administration for a drug designed to increase the blood levels of certain drugs for HIV.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a complete response letter regarding a supplemental new drug application for a medication developed by Janssen Research and Development.

Government authorities are working to educate independent pharmacy owners on prescription drug abuse, an independent pharmacy network said.

The House of Representatives will vote to repeal limitations on the use of tax-advantaged accounts for the purchase of over-the-counter medications as early as June 4, according to a report published online by The Hill, a Washington, D.C.-based political newspaper.