Narrative:

In early feb/95 I had an appointment with a general practice physician to receive a general medical examination, as well as to discuss specific medical questions. During the course of the examination and discussion, he suggested that I take the medication prozac. I inquired with the physician if this medication would affect my flying performance or my job. His opinion was that it would not affect either. Based upon what I thought was his 'expert' opinion, I agreed to take the medication. I flew for approximately 1 1/2 months while taking the medication. I did not notice any side effects of the medication either on or off the job. My job performance did not suffer in any way during that time. On mar/fri/95, I went to the local aviation medical examiner in order to obtain a class 1 flight medical certificate. When filling out the paper work, I indicated that I had been taking the medication prozac for approximately 1 1/2 months. Upon reading this, the aviation medical examiner notified me that he could not issue a medical and that I should contact the FAA aeromedical branch. Upon contacting the FAA I was notified that prozac was a disqualifying medication. I was informed that I would need to be off the medication for 90 days in order to receive a medical certificate. I immediately contacted the director of operations of my employer and notified my employer of the situation. I was taken off of flight status pending the reissuance of a medical certificate. This was the first time that I was aware that prozac was a disqualifying medication and should not be taken. At that time I was educated further that most medications would be disqualifying for a pilot. There are several contributing factors for this occurrence. The first is that a pilot should always seek the advice and expertise of an aviation medical examiner and the FAA aeromedical branch before taking any medication of any kind. Trusting the opinion and advice of any physician other than an aviation medical examiner will most likely result in am error being made. A second factor, although already mentioned, is that a pilot should be aware that almost any kind of medication can be disqualifying for a medical certificate. A third factor would be my extremely limited exposure to any type of medication (including simple aspirin). This occurrence involved the extreme rarity of me taking any prescribed or over-the-counter medication. This inexperience may have contributed to my naivete. Corrective actions for this occurrence are simple. The medication prozac has been discontinued to be taken. Also, an aviation medical examiner will be consulted before taking any other kinds of medication. Also, dissemination of this personal occurrence should be spread to other pilots for educational and preventive purposes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT FOUND THAT HE WAS USING A PRESCRIBED MEDICINE, NOT FAA APPROVED.

Narrative: IN EARLY FEB/95 I HAD AN APPOINTMENT WITH A GENERAL PRACTICE PHYSICIAN TO RECEIVE A GENERAL MEDICAL EXAM, AS WELL AS TO DISCUSS SPECIFIC MEDICAL QUESTIONS. DURING THE COURSE OF THE EXAM AND DISCUSSION, HE SUGGESTED THAT I TAKE THE MEDICATION PROZAC. I INQUIRED WITH THE PHYSICIAN IF THIS MEDICATION WOULD AFFECT MY FLYING PERFORMANCE OR MY JOB. HIS OPINION WAS THAT IT WOULD NOT AFFECT EITHER. BASED UPON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS HIS 'EXPERT' OPINION, I AGREED TO TAKE THE MEDICATION. I FLEW FOR APPROX 1 1/2 MONTHS WHILE TAKING THE MEDICATION. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY SIDE EFFECTS OF THE MEDICATION EITHER ON OR OFF THE JOB. MY JOB PERFORMANCE DID NOT SUFFER IN ANY WAY DURING THAT TIME. ON MAR/FRI/95, I WENT TO THE LCL AVIATION MEDICAL EXAMINER IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A CLASS 1 FLT MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. WHEN FILLING OUT THE PAPER WORK, I INDICATED THAT I HAD BEEN TAKING THE MEDICATION PROZAC FOR APPROX 1 1/2 MONTHS. UPON READING THIS, THE AVIATION MEDICAL EXAMINER NOTIFIED ME THAT HE COULD NOT ISSUE A MEDICAL AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT THE FAA AEROMEDICAL BRANCH. UPON CONTACTING THE FAA I WAS NOTIFIED THAT PROZAC WAS A DISQUALIFYING MEDICATION. I WAS INFORMED THAT I WOULD NEED TO BE OFF THE MEDICATION FOR 90 DAYS IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE DIRECTOR OF OPS OF MY EMPLOYER AND NOTIFIED MY EMPLOYER OF THE SIT. I WAS TAKEN OFF OF FLT STATUS PENDING THE REISSUANCE OF A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I WAS AWARE THAT PROZAC WAS A DISQUALIFYING MEDICATION AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN. AT THAT TIME I WAS EDUCATED FURTHER THAT MOST MEDICATIONS WOULD BE DISQUALIFYING FOR A PLT. THERE ARE SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS FOR THIS OCCURRENCE. THE FIRST IS THAT A PLT SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE AND EXPERTISE OF AN AVIATION MEDICAL EXAMINER AND THE FAA AEROMEDICAL BRANCH BEFORE TAKING ANY MEDICATION OF ANY KIND. TRUSTING THE OPINION AND ADVICE OF ANY PHYSICIAN OTHER THAN AN AVIATION MEDICAL EXAMINER WILL MOST LIKELY RESULT IN AM ERROR BEING MADE. A SECOND FACTOR, ALTHOUGH ALREADY MENTIONED, IS THAT A PLT SHOULD BE AWARE THAT ALMOST ANY KIND OF MEDICATION CAN BE DISQUALIFYING FOR A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. A THIRD FACTOR WOULD BE MY EXTREMELY LIMITED EXPOSURE TO ANY TYPE OF MEDICATION (INCLUDING SIMPLE ASPIRIN). THIS OCCURRENCE INVOLVED THE EXTREME RARITY OF ME TAKING ANY PRESCRIBED OR OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATION. THIS INEXPERIENCE MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MY NAIVETE. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS FOR THIS OCCURRENCE ARE SIMPLE. THE MEDICATION PROZAC HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED TO BE TAKEN. ALSO, AN AVIATION MEDICAL EXAMINER WILL BE CONSULTED BEFORE TAKING ANY OTHER KINDS OF MEDICATION. ALSO, DISSEMINATION OF THIS PERSONAL OCCURRENCE SHOULD BE SPREAD TO OTHER PLTS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND PREVENTIVE PURPOSES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.