Executive Summary

"The future promises increases in the number of drugs available OTC and in the variety of indications for their use," Eric Brass, MD/PhD, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, writes in Sept. 13 NEJM. Former NDAC Chairman asserts technology advances may facilitate OTC therapy growth, noting "the wide availability and acceptance of reliable methods of measuring serum cholesterol in nonmedical settings may eventually contribute to the safety and effectiveness of OTC treatments for hyperlipidemia." Brass, whose term on NDAC ended in May, presided over the committee's consideration and rejection of switch applications for the statins Pravachol (BMS) and Mevacor (Merck) in July 2000