According to new reports, as of today, pilots taking medication for mild or moderate depression will be able to fly again. This news comes under a new government rule aimed partly at getting those taking antidepressants to disclose the treatment.

This new policy reverses a ban on flying for pilots taking medications like Prozac. Federal Aviation Administration officials said that the old rule was based on outdated versions of antidepressants that could cause drowsiness and other kinds of side effects that made it unsafe for people who were taking them to fly a plane.

The medications have been updated and do not pose these kinds of risk anymore. Federal Aviation Administration members said that there was a side effect to the policy that has now been abrogated. This rule has resulted in pilots taking those medications to keep their depression and treatment a secret under the threat of losing their certification to fly.

Babbitt said that they need to change the culture and remove the stigma associated with depression. Pilots should be able to get the medical treatment they need so that they can safely perform their duties. It isn’t good for anyone if these pilots just try to hide their problems to keep their jobs.

Under this new policy, pilots who take antidepressants like Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa or Lexapro will be allowed to fly. This rule does hold true for their generic equivalents as well. These medications have been accepted, because they are now classified as SSRI’s, which help to regulate mood. On top of this, the Federal Aviation Administration will grant a sort of amnesty for pilots who have kept their depression treatment a secret.