[Infowarrior] - Prozac Pilots May Fly as FAA Drops Ban on Medicines (Update1)

[Richard Forno]

Prozac Pilots May Fly as FAA Drops Ban on Medicines (Update1)
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By John Hughes

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109

April 2 (Bloomberg) -- 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.

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.

“We really need to remove the stigma, if you will, of being treated  
for an illness,” Babbitt said.

The FAA decision reflects extensive study of the medication issue,  
said Bill Voss, president of the non-profit Flight Safety Foundation  
in Alexandria, Virginia.

“The FAA knows this is going to be a controversial ruling because of  
the stigma attached to depression,” Voss said in an interview. “I’m  
sure they doubly did their homework.”

Seek Permission

Under the policy, pilots can seek FAA permission to take one of four  
drugs -- Lilly’s Prozac, Pfizer Inc.’s Zoloft or Forest Laboratories  
Inc.’s Celexa or Lexapro. Prozac, Zoloft and Celexa have lost patent  
protection and are available in generic form. Lexapro had $2.3 billion  
in revenue last year.

All four drugs are in a class of antidepressants called SSRI’s, which  
help regulate mood by blocking reabsorption of the chemical serotonin,  
believed to play a role in behavior. The drugs give the brain access  
to more serotonin.

FAA policy bans pilots from flying if they have depression because the  
condition can be distracting in the cockpit and pose a safety risk,  
according to the agency. Under the new policy, pilots with depression  
can seek treatment with one of the four medications and keep flying.

Steven Chealander, a former American Airlines captain and National  
Transportation Safety Board member, called the policy a “big deal” for  
pilots who would face disqualification because they take  
antidepressants.

‘Good Condition’

“A lot of guys I know for various reasons haven’t been able to get  
their medical” certificate due to health conditions or prescriptions,  
said Chealander, now a vice president of training for Airbus SAS in  
Miami. “You’ve got to be in such good medical condition.”

An estimated 20 million people in the U.S. have depression, which can  
cause thoughts of suicide, sadness and feelings of worthlessness,  
according to the National Institutes of Health.

The U.S. had almost 614,000 active pilots in 2008, the most recent FAA  
statistics, with about 95,000 working for commercial airlines, Tilton  
said.

U.S. airlines “rely on the FAA” to decide which medications pilots can  
take, said David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Washington-based Air  
Transport Association that represents carriers such as Delta Air Lines  
Inc., UAL Corp.’s United Airlines and AMR Corp.’s American.

FAA Monitoring

Pilots who show success controlling their depression for 12 months  
using one of the medications will be able to seek permission to fly,  
according to the FAA. The pilots will be monitored by FAA health  
specialists as an additional safeguard, the agency said.

Pilots who violate the rule by flying without disclosing their  
antidepressant use will have amnesty for six months to step forward,  
Tilton said. Those pilots will be grounded, and could be eligible to  
fly within a few months if they show a successful history of  
treatment, he said.

As many as 10 percent of Americans were taking an antidepressant as of  
2005, the most recent time period available in a Columbia University  
study released last year.

To contact the reporters on this story: John Hughes in Washington at jhughes5 at bloomberg.net 
.

Last Updated: April 2, 2010 08:00 EDT