Private MD News

Cholesterol pills may soon become available over the counter

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Following an unhealthy cholesterol test, many people are given prescriptions for lipid-lowering medications. However, it may soon become easier for individuals to get their hands on these pharmaceuticals.

The drug maker Pfizer recently announced that it is looking into the possibility of making its popular cholesterol medication Lipitor available over the counter, according to the Wall Street Journal. Removing the need for a doctor’s prescription could improve access to these pills.

Statin medications, the drug class to which Lipitor belongs, have been shown to have relatively few side effects and are well tolerated by the majority of users. This is part of the rationale for making the pills available over the counter.

However, the news source points out that Food and Drug Administration has previously rejected bids to make statin medications available over the counter, so Pfizer may face an uphill battle.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health, and high cholesterol levels are a major contributor to cardiovascular conditions.