Science

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reportedly mulling whether more prescription drugs should be sold over the counter (OTC) at pharmacies. In an interview on Wednesday, FDA commissioner Martin Makary told CNBC that “everything should be over the counter” except drugs that are deemed unsafe or addictive or that require clinical monitoring.

Makary said the agency is reviewing how it decides which drugs can be sold with or without a prescription from a health care practitioner. He suggested prescription vaginal estrogen or antinausea medications, for example, could become OTC.

It’s unclear exactly how the FDA is reviewing the rules around OTC drugs or what the timing will be, but in the same interview, Makary said the agency is going through “the proper regulatory processes.”