NyQuil got a pass from that FDA advisory committee that met this week to discuss acetaminophen , the generic painkiller in all kinds of over-the-counter medicines. But the panel recommended a ban on prescription drugs that combine acetaminophen with a narcotic — drugs such as Percocet and Vicodin. The panel also suggested requiring a prescription for extra-strength Tylenol. The committee’s task was to advise the FDA on ways to reduce the risk of liver injury associated with acetaminophen, which can occur at doses not much higher than those considered safe. Patients taking narcotics often need higher and higher doses to achieve the same effect; so patients taking combination pills could unwittingly be getting too much acetaminophen if they raise their dose. It’s important to point out that the panel was not advising a ban on any of the ingredients in those combination drugs, only on combining them in a single pill. So if the FDA follows the panel’s advice

and bans Vicodin, a doctor could still prescribe a patient acetaminophen and hydrocodone, the two ingredients that are combined in Vicodin . The advisers also recommended making extra-strength doses of acetaminophen (such as the dose in Extra Strength Tylenol) available only by prescription, and lowering the maximum daily dose for over-the-counter acetaminophen to 2,600 milligrams from its current level of 4,000 milligrams. The panel voted to keep over-the-counter cold medicines that contain acetaminophen, a category that includes NyQuil and lots of other cold combos. Most acetaminophen overdoses occur from prescription drugs, the WSJ notes . For more, read coverage from the New York Times and Bloomberg News , and check out the meeting documents on the FDA’s Web site . A few corporate notes: Tylenol is a J&J drug; Abbott sells Vicodin; Procter & Gamble sells NyQuil; and Endo sells Percocet.

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Panel: Down With Vicodin & Percocet. Long Live NyQuil!