The Food and Drug Administration recently gave the makers of
Claritin the ok to make their product available "over the counter" (or able to
be purchased without a prescription). This has caused some patients to have
questions about allergy medications.
Dr. Michael Schatz, Vice President of the American Academy of
Allergy, Asthma and Immunology provides insight on the issue and answers some
common questions.
Last updated: November 2002
Q: Why has Claritin gone over the counter?
A: An advisory panel of the FDA, made up of doctors and
others, took a look at "second generation antihistamines" or allergy medications
that were currently available only by prescription. The charge of the panel was
to determine if these medications were safe enough to make available without a
prescription. The FDA looked at the panel’s recommendation, and other input, and
determined that yes, the medicines themselves were safe enough to go over the
counter. The company that produces Claritin then decided to shift it there.
Q: What’s a second generation antihistamine?
A: These are medications like Allegra, Claritin and Zyrtec.
They are called "second generation" antihistamines because their formulations
represent an advancement over earlier "first generation" antihistamines which
caused a lot of side effects. Please read the Academy's tip brochure, "Allergy
and Asthma Medications" for more information about second generation
antihistamines.
Q: I’m taking a different allergy medication that my doctor
prescribes. Is it less safe than Claritin?
A: Claritin and other second generation antihistamines are
all generally safe when taken as directed.
Q: If Claritin is over the counter, does that mean I don’t need
to see my physician about my allergies anymore?
A: If Claritin alleviates your symptoms and doesn’t cause
any sort of rare side effects, that’s great. However, Claritin is like any other
drug – it works better for some people than for others. If you are still
experiencing symptoms or feeling like your quality of life is compromised, see
your physician. There are other approaches, including improvements you can make
in your environment, different medications, and possibly allergy shots to make
you feel better.
If you have asthma and allergies, you definitely should remain
in close contact with your physician. Allergies can bring on asthma attacks or
make asthma symptoms worse. And asthma can be deadly, even if it’s mild.
Q: My allergy medication has been over the counter for a long
time. It’s safe, right?
A: Allergy medications that have been available over the
counter for a long time generally work pretty well. The problem is, these often
have strong sedative qualities, or make people very sleepy. In addition, these
medications may make people unable to properly work, attend school or drive
safely, even if they are not feeling drowsy. In fact, in many states, pilots and
others are not allowed to take certain types of allergy medications for fear
they will not be able to function as sharply as they need to.
Q: I take a different prescription allergy medication that works
for me. I just found out that my insurance company is not going to cover that
medication, even though it’s NOT going over the counter. I’m not sure what to
do.
A:
This is a problem. Some insurance companies or managed
care organizations are trying to get out of paying for allergy medications by
pointing to Claritin and saying, "hey – this one’s over the counter, use this."
The problem is, as we’ve said before, different medications work differently for
different people. So, it’s really not fair, or good medical practice, to move
the choice of the medication that’s best for you from your doctor to the
insurance company.
What can you do? You can log a formal complaint with your
provider. Subscribers to a medical plan really can influence the choices of that
plan. After all, medical plans are supposed to be looking out for your best
interest. Allowing your doctor to prescribe the right medicine for you is in
your best interest.
The Academy feels so strongly about this point that we’ve
authored a statement and are trying to work with insurers to have them
understand that adhering to medical guidelines is really the best thing to do
for patients. [click here to read the statement]
Q: How does the allergist fit in here (and what is an
allergist)?
A: First of all, an allergist is a pediatrician or an
internal medicine doctor who has undergone an additional 2 to 3 years of
training in allergic/immunologic disease. Allergic/immunologic disease includes
things like hay fever, asthma, eczema, hives and diseases dealing with
compromised immune systems.
If you think you might have any of these, see your family
doctor. If, after carrying out your doctor’s suggestions, you aren’t satisfied
with your quality of life, consider seeing a specialist. Allergists can use work
with you to do more advanced testing or provide different types of treatments
and management techniques. [click here to read more about
what an allergist
is and how to find one near you.]
