Question

What is the primary goal of the Durham-Humphrey Amendment of 1951?

a) To regulate the advertising of prescription drugs
b) To establish the FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
c) To define the difference between prescription and over-the-counter drugs
d) To create safety standards for pharmaceutical manufacturing

Answer 1

The Durham-Humphrey Amendment of 1951 was primarily aimed at defining the differences between prescription and over-the-counter drugs to enhance safety and responsible medication usage.

Step-by-step explanation:

This amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act established a clear distinction between drugs that can be sold by prescription and those that can be sold over the counter without a prescription. The amendment gave specific authority to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to categorize medications based on their safety profile and whether they could be used responsibly without the supervision of a healthcare provider.

Before this legislation, there was no formal requirement for drugs to be authorized by prescription, potentially leading to public health risks.
Additionally, the amendment outlined that only licensed practitioners could authorize prescriptions and that pharmaceutical manufacturers had to provide proper labeling on prescription medications. Its objective was to enhance drug safety and promote responsible drug utilization.