Accutane prescription update - Extra Bodyfit - Brief Article

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Oct-Nov, 2002

Used to treat the most serious form of acne, Accutane can have dangerous side effects for pregnant women, including fetal death. Health authorities have advised women for years not to use the drug when pregnant, but more than 2,000 women have become pregnant while on the drug in the last 10 years.

In an effort to prevent such pregnancies (some of which are aborted due to the potential for congenital abnormalities), the FDA has announced that all new Accutane prescriptions must have a label from the patient's doctor certifying that the patient has had a negative pregnancy test, understands the danger and is committed to using contraception. The woman will also have to sign a consent form.