Cholesterol Numbers Going the Right Way

The CDC reports that average cholesterol levels are down to below 200 for the first time in 50 years. The power of drugs; we're talking statins here. At the same time Merck, on behalf of Glaxo (and their negotiated licensing milestone payments), is going before an FDA panel today to try to get Mevacor approved for OTC. My feeling is that this is probably not the best OTC drug in the world even with the relatively few side effects, but the prospect of a BTC (Behind The Counter) drug is great for pharmacists. It sorta would have the profession coming full circle to its roots when people would think of the pharmacist as the primary healthcare provider. In many countries, that's still true.

UPDATE: The panel nixed the idea of an OTC cholesterol pill.