A medication safety expert filed a petition with the FDA asking it to further regulate a commonly prescribed antibiotic because it increases the risk of suicide, according to ABC Action News.
Charles Bennett, MD, PhD, asked the FDA to require physicians to have patients sign a release saying they understand the risks of fluoroquinolones, sold under the brand names Cipro and Levaquin, before they take them.
The FDA has reported more than 20,000 cases of nervous system disorders, including anxiety and depression, associated with the antibiotic since 2000, according to ABC Action News. The agency has also reported 174 suicides in connection with the antibiotic in the past 20 years.
Physicians wrote 29.7 million prescriptions for fluoroquinolones in 2016 alone, according to ABC Action News.
Read the full report here.