NBAA Lauds FAA Changes to Medication Requirements

The FAA is continuing to alter its medication requirements to encourage pilots and other aviation personnel to seek mental health care, most recently shortening the wait times for testing on the FAA antidepressant protocol. In addition, it also altered its diabetes management requirements.

Under the former policy, an individual would have to wait six months before completing the protocol testing after beginning an antidepressant medication or a change in dosage. Now the wait time is three months on a “single, stable dose,” according to NBAA.

“The FAA has added to the list of permissible antidepressants in recent years, but the required six-month waiting period on a single, stable dose continued to have an outsized effect, as pilots are grounded immediately upon taking their first dose or changing dosage,” Mark Larsen, NBAA director of safety and flight operations, said in an association article about the changes. “The reduction of time to three months is progress toward reducing the barriers that keep pilots from seeking forms of mental health treatment.”

NBAA pointed out that these changes are in line with the recommendations of the 2023/2024 Mental Health & Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). Larsen was a member of that ARC.

Other recent revisions are simplifying requirements for insulin-treated diabetes mellitus. The changes would allow insulin-dependent individuals on a continuous glucose monitor to maintain a glucose management indicator of less than 7% rather than 6.5% and a coefficient of variance of less than or equal to 36%, with less than 33% preferred, the association explained.

“We continue to see revisions to medical certification for insulin-treated diabetes as management technology improves and the FAA collects more data,” said Larsen.