The FAA’s list of conditionally acceptable antidepressant medications now includes Pristiq, Cymbalta, and Effexor.
Content Body
The FAA has updated its guidelines for aviation medical examiners to expand the list of antidepressant drugs that pilots and air traffic controllers can take and maintain their medical certificates.
Effective as of April 24, the FAA’s list of “conditionally acceptable” antidepressant medications for special issuance authorization of a medical certificate now includes desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), duloxetine (Cymbalta), and venlafaxine (Effexor). These three drugs are classified as serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, or SNRIs.
Up until last year, the list of FAA-approved antidepressant medications was limited to a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Pilots and air traffic control specialists taking one of four SSRI drugs—fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), escitalopram (Lexapro), or citalopram (Celexa)—have been eligible for special issuance of a medical certificate since 2010.
In May 2023, the FAA added Wellbutrin to that list, making it the first non-SSRI drug that pilots and air traffic controllers were allowed to take for the treatment of depression. Sold under the generic name bupropion, Wellbutrin is a dopamine/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI) that is also commonly prescribed for smoking cessation.
In light of the expanded list of drug options, the FAA has chosen to rename the SSRI Protocol to “Antidepressant Protocol” in the latest version of its guide for aviation medical examiners. The guide now lists a total of eight “conditionally acceptable” medications that will not disqualify people from seeking special issuance of a medical certificate. However, approval is not guaranteed since the FAA grants authorization on a case-by-case basis.
To be eligible for FAA authorization of a special issuance, an individual may only take one of those eight drugs and cannot use them in combination. Applicants must be clinically stable on a consistent dose of the drug for at least six months with no significant side effects.
The FAA has updated its guidelines for aviation medical examiners to expand the list of antidepressant drugs that pilots and air traffic controllers can take and maintain their medical certificates.
Effective as of April 24, the FAA’s list of “conditionally acceptable” antidepressant medications for special issuance authorization of a medical certificate now includes desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), duloxetine (Cymbalta), and venlafaxine (Effexor). These three drugs are classified as serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, or SNRIs.
Up until last year, the list of FAA-approved antidepressant medications was limited to a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Pilots and air traffic control specialists taking one of four SSRI drugs—fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), escitalopram (Lexapro), or citalopram (Celexa)—have been eligible for special issuance of a medical certificate since 2010. In May 2023, the FAA added bupropion (Wellbutrin) to that list, making it the first non-SSRI drug that pilots and air traffic controllers were allowed to take for the treatment of depression.
In light of the expanded list of drug options, the FAA has chosen to rename the SSRI Protocol to “Antidepressant Protocol” in the latest version of its guide for aviation medical examiners. The guide now lists a total of eight “conditionally acceptable” medications that will not disqualify people from seeking special issuance of a medical certificate.