Medical experts have recommended that cough medicines should continue to be sold without a prescription. This is despite concern of increased abuse among teenagers that has led to suggesting restricted sales of the products.
The Food and Drug Administration panel voted 15-9 this week against a proposal that would require a physician’s note to buy medicine containing dextromethorphan. Dextromethorphan is an ingredient found in more than 100 medications on the market today.
The FDA does not have to follow the recommendations of the panel. The panel members were asked if dextromethorphan should be "scheduled," a regulatory move desiged to limit access to drugs with a high potential for abuse.
"For me there was not data to show us that scheduling this product would decrease abuse," said panelist Janet Engle, professor and department head of pharmacy practice at the University of Illinois.
"Robotripping" is the name for dextromethorphan abuse and is popular with teenagers. The practice has significant health risk to abusers, including elevated blood pressure, heart rate and fever. Abusers of dextromethorphan can suffer health problems from the other ingredients in cough medicines, like acetaminophen, which can lead to liver damage.
In 2008, there were almost 8,000 visits to the emergency room from medical complications of dextromethorphan abuse.
"Many teenagers are thinking that because it’s a legal drug it must be safer to abuse, and that’s why we’re also seeing a growing trend in prescription drug abuse," said Engle.
Products containing dextromethorphan were purchased by more than 40 million American households last year. The drug is available in pills, gel caps, liquids and other forms.
