| ■ Truckers, Bus Drivers Can't Take Anti-Smoking Drug Chantix | 2008.05.27 |
| Examiners shouldn't give commercial motor vehicle license clearance to anyone currently using the anti-smoking drug Chantix, says the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which oversees the interstate trucking and bus industries. The FMCSA announcement Thursday came a day after the Federal Aviation Administration banned the use of the drug by pilots and air traffic controllers. The agencies took action in response to an Institute for Safe Medication Practices study saying that Chantix may be linked to seizures, dizziness, heart rhythm problems, diabetes and more than 100 accidents, the Wall Street Journal reported. The non-profit group's study said the drug was linked to 988 serious incidents in the last quarter of 2007 alone. After the study was released Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation alerted its agencies and instructed office directors to read the study's warnings and recommendations. Last year, warnings on Chantix's label were updated to include depression and suicidal thoughts. The FDA hasn't announced any new action in response to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices study, the Journal reported. |