Aviation medication transparency bill advances
AOPA-backed legislation 'long overdue'
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation voted to advance the Aviation Medication Transparency Act (S.3258) on July 22—a bill that would provide needed clarity for pilots on medications they are allowed to take.
The bipartisan bill, which was introduced by Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.), would require the FAA to publish—for the first time—a public, user-friendly list of medications that pilots can safely use. The agency would also be required to update it at least once a year.
Duckworth was among the first women in the U.S. Army to fly combat missions as a Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter pilot during Operation Iraqi Freedom. On November 12, 2004, her helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, and Duckworth lost her legs and partial use of her right arm. Following her recovery, she resumed flying as a civilian pilot. She is currently an FAA-certificated private pilot in fixed-wing aircraft and has been a longtime supporter of general aviation in Congress.
"As the top Democrat on the Senate Aviation Subcommittee and a GA pilot, we appreciate Senator Duckworth's leadership to provide a definitive list of approved medications for pilots. This step takes a commonsense approach in providing information that will help pilots make informed decisions about medications they can or shouldn't use," said AOPA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Advocacy Jim Coon.
AOPA's medications database also provides valuable information on many medications but points out that "Federal Aviation Regulations include no specific references to medication usage" including that "there is no official FAA 'list' of drugs."
