FDA proposal could revamp relationships with doctors

The Food and Drug Administration is weighing policy changes that could make some of America’s most commonly used medications available over the counter. The idea, from the FDA's point of view, is to take away obstacles that keep Americans from managing their own healthcare. About 20 percent of prescriptions written in the United States go unfilled, indicating to regulators that a trip to the pharmacy may be an obstacle for Americans seeking healthcare. The FDA contends that some consumers may not even go as far as getting a prescription because of the "cost and time required to visit a healthcare practitioner."