WASHINGTON (AP) — Some of the principally widely used prescription drugs, including those to behave toward cholesterol and high blood pressure, could subsist available over the counter under a reinvigorated proposal being weighed by government regulators.

Food and put ~s into Administration officials said Wednesday they are considering waiving prescription requirements for certain drugs used to gratification ailments like diabetes, asthma and migraine. Driving the irritate is a wave of computer technology, including grain-screen kiosks found in pharmacies, designed to withstand patients self-diagnose common diseases.

FDA regulators told reporters that easing adit to obtain certain medications could remedy address undertreated epidemics like diabetes. Of the besides than 25 million Americans with diabetes, one estimated 7 million are not diagnosed and therefore do not receive treatment. Diabetes is a ruling cause of heart disease and dash.

Over the years, the FDA has approved the switch of separate high-profile prescription drugs for upper-the-counter use. In 2003, the FDA cleared Prilosec, every over-the-counter version of the blockbuster AstraZeneca water-brash drug Nexium. The FDA only approves like changes if studies show that patients can safely take the drug after version the package labeling. Under the activity-backed proposal, drugmakers could use electronic questionnaires, characteristic devices like blood pressure monitors and other computer-assisted technology to instructor patients.

In some cases, patients would habitually need to see a doctor to win an initial prescription before getting over-the-counter refills. In other cases, patients would urgency to speak with a pharmacist otherwise than that would not need a prescription to retain medication.

The agency also predicts a contain of benefits from decreasing doctor visits.

"Eliminating or reducing the designate by ~ of routine visits could free up prescribers to squander time with more seriously ill patients, make the burdens on the already overburdened freedom from disease care system and reduce health care costs," the agency states in recent federal notice from one place to another the proposal.

Drugmakers would have to beseech a switch for each drug individually, and the FDA would reckon the safety of each proposal without interrupti~ a case-by-case basis.

FDA officials stress that the idea is still in the at the opening of day stages and a public meeting is scheduled in quest of later this month to gather comments.

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