What did the Durham-Humphrey Amendment of 1951 establish?

The Durham-Humphrey Amendment of 1951 is significant because it established the distinction between two classes of drugs: over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications. This amendment clarified the regulatory framework surrounding the dispensing of medications, ensuring that certain drugs would only be available with a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider, due to their potential for misuse or the need for healthcare supervision. This classification system was crucial for protecting public health, as it allowed for safer access to medications while ensuring that more complex treatments were managed by professionals.

By defining these two categories, the amendment helped to streamline the pharmaceutical landscape, ensuring that patients received the appropriate level of care and guidance when using potentially dangerous medications. This change also marked a shift in how medications were marketed and distributed, reinforcing the need for prescriptions in situations where medical oversight was necessary.