Medications That May Impair Driving
Medical conditions and their associated functional losses may lead to a decline in ‘driving health’ and an increase in crash risk. The appropriate use of medications to control medical conditions and symptoms may preserve or restore functional ability. But certain medications when taken as prescribed also may impair a person’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. Researchers have identified such “potentially driver impairing” (PDI) medications by therapeutic class, by active ingredient, and by their brand/trade names.
A look-up table containing this information may be accessed by clicking the button below. The point of entry into this table is an alphabetical list of medical conditions. Associated with each medical condition are classes of drugs used to treat the condition. Within each class, the medictions most frequently dispensed in 2006 are identified. For each drug, the active ingredient is listed first, followed by the most common brand names currently on the market.
This table of PDI medications is intended strictly as an information resource for consumers and professionals. It is not intended to contradict accepted rules of professional conduct, nor to establish requirements, legal or otherwise, about the application of this information in clinical practice.
The information in the PDI Drug Reference Table was developed through a NHTSA-sponsored literature review concerning Polypharmacy and Older Drivers that can be accessed at the link provided above, and through continuing analyses of administrative claims databases including ICD9-CM injury codes (E-codes) that establish associations between injuries in traffic crashes and the drugs prescribed at the time of the crash for the drivers of the involved vehicles.
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