Advisory panel votes against Bextra, ibuprofen

Health Canada's advisory panel (see previous entry) made its recommendations today: they voted unanimously to keep Celebrex on sale, 12-1 in favour of returning Vioxx to the market, and 8-5 against allowing sales of Bextra. But the real shocker is that they want to move ibuprofen behind the counter: "Ibuprofen carries as much risk of heart attacks and strokes as Vioxx and should therefore be moved behind the counter in pharmacies where patients would need to ask for it, panellists said." The panel's recommendations for ibuprofen are non-binding; it's up to provincial governments to decide whether to make it less accessible. The mind boggles; you can get naproxen over the counter in the States!