FDA OKs Over-the-Counter Yeast Infection Medicine: Women...

FDA OKs Over-the-Counter Yeast Infection Medicine: Women will soon be able to buy a nonprescription medicine for yeast infections that takes three days to work instead of seven. Femstat 3 was switched from prescription-only to over-the-counter status by the Food and Drug Administration. Every other nonprescription medicine for vaginal yeast infections requires seven days of treatment. The drug, manufactured by Switzerland’s Roche Holding Ltd., will be sold in the United States by Procter & Gamble Co. The company said Femstat will be on store shelves by spring, but it had not yet set a price. Femstat contains the anti-fungal agent butoconazole nitrate, available by prescription since 1986. Studies of 600 women showed that Femstat worked as well as the leading seven-day brand, miconazole nitrate or Monistat 7, Procter & Gamble said.