Worried about damaging effects on the liver, an FDA advisory panel has recommended that the agency ban drugs such as Percoset and Vicodin that combine acetaminophen (generic for Tylenol) with another drug. Taken together, opiates and acetaminophen seem to cause excessive stress to the liver, especially when alcohol is consumed. Additionally, the panel has advised a lower maximum dosage for acetaminophen and that maximum strength dosages, currently available over the counter, should require a prescription. Will the FDA implement the panel's recommendations? What will restricted access to painkillers mean for consumers? Comment here.

Bruce Japsen, Chicago Tribune health care reporter