 
FDA Public Meeting on Increasing Access to Nonprescription Drugs
April 23, 2026
12:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET
The Food and Drug Administration is announcing a public meeting and comment period, “Increasing Access to Nonprescription Drugs.” The meeting will bring together experts to discuss perspectives on expanding access to nonprescription or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Making more drugs available over the counter can decrease medication costs and improve access to important treatments.
The public meeting will discuss perspectives on increasing access to nonprescription drugs from interested parties, including drug developers, healthcare professionals, and consumers, among others. FDA is particularly interested in practical considerations that shape nonprescription drug access.
The meeting will focus on the following topics:
- Specific diseases or conditions that have not been treated with nonprescription drugs for which nonprescription drugs could be safely and effectively used.
- Challenges industry may face in developing such nonprescription drugs.
- Opportunities to improve access.
- Opportunities for stakeholder collaboration to increase cost-effective access to safe and effective nonprescription drugs.
About Us
The Public Engagement Staff resides within the Office of External Affairs. We aim to build stronger relationships with health professional organizations, patients and patient advocacy organizations, consumer groups, trade associations, think tanks and academia, and other interested parties, in order to better inform our policy making process, identify policy hurdles or misconceptions, and create strategic collaborations. For more information, please contact us at PublicEngagement@fda.hhs.gov. For patient specific inquiries, please contact us at Patients Ask FDA.
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