US FDA OKs over-the-counter defibrillator sales
Key points
- Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a medical device maker's request to sell at-home heart defibrillators without a prescription.
- Philips Medical Systems, a unit of Dutch group Philips Electronics NV, had asked regulators to allow over-the-counter sales of its automated external defibrillator to treat patients in cardiac arrest.
- The device, which costs about $2,000, had been available with a prescription, but Philips said many physicians were unwilling to prescribe it.
- Cardiac arrest accounts for more than 340,000 U.S. deaths each year, according to American Heart Association estimates.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a medical device maker's request to sell at-home heart defibrillators without a prescription.
Philips Medical Systems, a unit of Dutch group Philips Electronics NV, had asked regulators to allow over-the-counter sales of its automated external defibrillator to treat patients in cardiac arrest.
The device, which costs about $2,000, had been available with a prescription, but Philips said many physicians were unwilling to prescribe it.
Cardiac arrest accounts for more than 340,000 U.S. deaths each year, according to American Heart Association estimates. Eighty percent of cases occur in homes.
Written and revised by
David Cohen, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
Explore health topics
More in this topic
Heart & Blood Vessels →
NewsEmerging vascular risk factors in women: Any differences from men?
The incidence and severity of both traditional and emerging cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors as well as the response to treatment may differ between genders. In this narrative review, several emerging CVD risk…
6 February 2016
NewsStudy shows minorities had lower risk of coronary heart disease than whites
In a study of more than 1.3 million Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California that stretched over 10 years, researchers found that blacks, Latinos and Asians generally had lower risk of coronary heart disease…
29 January 2016
NewsFinding the right antithrombotic (anti-clotting) drug for you
A new blood clotting analysis system designed in Japan makes it easier to determine the effects of taking one or more antithrombotic (anti-clotting) drugs. Myocardial infarction, arrhythmia (atrial fibrillation),…
.jpg)
