HEALTH CARE

Additional Use of Prozac Endorsed: A federal advisory panel was considering whether the Food and Drug Administration should expand the approved uses of Prozac, which is already in wide use for depression. The panel said the antidepressant can help people with obsessive-compulsive disorder who are subject to recurrent intrusive thoughts, impulses or behavior. Dr. Gary Tollefson, a spokesman for the drug’s manufacturer, Eli Lilly & Co. of Indianapolis, said the panel’s action “provides hope for a safe and effective new treatment for the victims of this illness.” Prozac was first approved in 1987. Some experts believe the drug increases confusion and suicidal tendencies.