Psoriasis Cure Now, a nonprofit patient advocacy group, has urged a joint hearing of two Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committees for approving the over-the-counter (OTC) sale of specific topical steroids that presently require a prescription.

Topical corticosteroids play a big role for treating psoriasis patients all over the world and approximately 6.5 million people in the United States alone. The advocacy group remarked that OTC status of these steroids can help in reducing medical costs and provide improved comfort.

From Medicalnewstoday.com:

Topical steroids come in dozens of variations in drug type and strength. One common classification system lists seven steroid potencies from mild to ultra high, with each of the seven classes offering numerous choices. For about 15 years, the strongest steroid available without a prescription has been hydrocortisone 1%, a very mild formulation.

In its statement to the FDA, the group called for better labeling and other education efforts both for patients and physicians about topical steroids and their potential side effects, and recommended particularly close attention to topical steroid use by pediatric psoriasis patients.

“While we believe additional steroids should be available OTC, we urge the FDA to weight carefully how best to educate parents who face difficult choices about how, and how aggressively, to treat psoriasis in their children,” Paranzino added. “Topical steroids play a role in treating many children with psoriasis, but there are non-steroid alternatives that should also be considered.”

Michael Paranzino, President of Psoriasis Cure Now, said that certain topical steroids require a prescription and can be safely used by psoriasis patients in an OTC setting.

Tags:  corticosteroids, OTC, psoriasis, Steroid use, Steroids, topical steroids

Posted in  Steroids | No Comments/Questions