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The FAA Clears 'Prozac-Pilots' To Fly Airplanes

April 5, 2010 at 11:44 AM | by | Comments (0)

We may have popped a few pills to help make some flights a little more enjoyable, but thankfully this hasn’t been an option for pilots. However, the FAA has recently thought things over a little more, and they are about to change some long-standing rules regarding pilots and pharmaceuticals.

As of this week pilots who have been diagnosed with mild to moderate depression will be cleared to fly even if they are taking antidepressants. They will need to prove that they’ve had treatment for at least 12 months and that all is going well. The government is also launching an antidepressant amnesty program where pilots who have been taking drugs against regulations can come clean. Again, they’ll need to show that they have been successfully treated for a year.

Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, and Lexapro are the four medications that the FAA is cool with, and they are allowing special medical certificates for pilots that are being treated with these medications.

It’s probably not the best idea to have a depressed pilot flying around a bunch of passengers. So we’re kind of glad that the FAA is giving approval for some to receive medical treatment, and that pilots won’t have to hide their conditions any longer. As long as pilots can prove that they’ve been stable for a certain time period this really doesn’t seem like a big deal. Sure airplanes can be pretty dangerous, but there’s way more cars on the road with unregulated drivers just waiting to cause trouble.

Related Stories:
· FAA To Allow Pilots To Fly While On Antidepressants [CNN]
· An Update On The Northwest Airlines Pilots Who Flew Too Far [Jaunted]
· Pilots coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Emuishere Peliculas]

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