A nonprofit patient advocacy group, Psoriasis Cure Now, has urged a joint hearing of two Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committees to approve OTC use of certain topical steroids that presently require a prescription.

Topical corticosteroids are instrumental to treat as many as 6.5 million American afflicted with psoriasis and over-the-counter status of these steroids could result in reduced cost and enhanced convenience.

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.”

Specific topical steroids that presently require a prescription could be safely and effectively used by psoriasis patients in an over-the-counter setting, according to Michael Paranzino, President of Psoriasis Cure Now.

Tags: corticosteroids, psoriasis, steroid, steroid use, steroids, topical steroids

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