The US Food and Drug Administration's psychopharmacological panel hasrecommended that more studies be conducted on Pharmacia & Upjohn's sleeping pill Halcion (triazolam), but supported an Institute of Medicine report which found the drug to be safe and effective at the recommended dose.
After reports several years ago that the drug caused severe mood swings (Marketletters passim), the FDA said that Halcion was safe and effective when used as directed, stressing that it should be used for short-term therapy only. A maximum of 10 tablets of Halcion are supposed to be dispensed at a time.
The committee said that the drug was clearly being used for longer than the recommended period and that studies were needed to determine long-term effects. Members also voted in favor of studies of lower doses, noting that many questions about Halcion applied to other sedatives as well as antipsychotic drugs.
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