The National Transportation Safety Board and the Food and Drug Administration will co-host a meeting examining the impact of prescription and over-the-counter medications on the performance of vehicle operators.

Many widely used prescription and over-the-counter medications can cause drowsiness and/or impairment in users. In most cases, however, there is little guidance provided in laws, rules, instructions or labeling, to help people determine what medications could affect their ability to drive or operate other vehicles. Studies suggest, as with alcohol, an individual's perception of their level of impairment is not a good indicator of their actual impairment.
Since 1987 the Safety Board has investigated more than 150 accidents, in all modes of transportation, involving vehicle operators who may have been impaired by prescription or over-the-counter medications. For instance, in a June 1998 Greyhound bus crash in Burnt Cabins, Pa., that killed six people, the board found that the driver had recently taken an over-the-counter medication.
This joint meeting is in response to recommendations the Safety Board made to the FDA and the DOT on this subject in January 2000 asking that the FDA require the use of a clear and consistent warning label for all medications.
The joint meeting will be held in the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center on November 14 and 15, convening at 8 a.m. each day. Meeting attendance is open to the public and advance registration is not necessary. For more information regarding the November meeting, visit www.ntsb.gov and click on the "FDA/NTSB Joint Public Meeting" link.