Canada Panel Recommends Restricting Ibuprofen Use

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government should consider allowing the sale of pain reliever ibuprofen only after a customer discusses the cardiovascular risks with a pharmacist, an expert advisory panel recommended on Thursday.

The government-appointed panel saw an apparent contradiction in allowing ibuprofen to be freely available over the counter while other anti-inflammatory drugs are available only under prescription.

"Health Canada should consider that ibuprofen only be sold after discussion with a pharmacist, and must ensure that the risks of cardiovascular events are prominently displayed in material that individuals receive at the time they purchase the drug as well as any package inserts," the panel reported.

Ibuprofen is the active ingredient in painkillers such as Advil, made by U.S. pharmaceutical company Wyeth, which is among the top consumer health care brands in the world.

Health Canada said in a statement that it would pass on to provincial regulators the recommendations on the over-the-counter availability of some ibuprofen products, "in particular to address the inappropriate, long-term use of these products."

"We can't second-guess what they will decide but it will be part of our recommendation to at least reconsider how they classify it (ibuprofen) on a provincial basis," said Marc Berthiaume, who runs Health Canada's marketed pharmaceuticals division.

(Additional reporting by Rachelle Younglai in Toronto)