Pilots taking Prozac will be permitted to fly as U.S. regulators drop a decades-old ban on four antidepressants including the Eli Lilly and Co. drug.



Quote from the article:

Risks from side effects, such as drowsiness, associated with the medications used to treat depression don't pose a safety threat, the Federal Aviation Administration said today. "We have a better understanding of the drugs," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in an interview. "We know more about the illness, we know more about how to treat it." The policy, which goes into effect on April 5, may cover as many as 10,000 pilots, such as aviators grounded because they suffer from depression or who take antidepressants in violation of rules, said Fred Tilton, the federal air surgeon. Organizations led by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which represents 415,000 small-plane pilots, and the Air Line Pilots Association, the largest union for cockpit crews, had sought to lift the restriction. The FAA said its action is consistent with the views of the groups.

Plane Crazy: Prozac Pilots May Fly as FAA Drops Ban on Medicines

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