The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has introduced MedGuide, an online tool for US pilots and air traffic controllers to check which medications they can take and how long they may need to wait before returning to duty. The searchable guide covers prescription and over-the-counter drugs, with waiting-period information after starting a medication or taking later doses.
The first version includes only medications the FAA categorizes as allowed. The agency plans to add conditionally acceptable and unacceptable medications in future updates; a medication’s absence from the guide does not determine whether it can be used while flying. The FAA also says an allowed medication alone does not establish fitness for duty: users must consider their medical condition and any side effects. MedGuide is a reference, not a substitute for an individual medical assessment or a doctor’s advice.
