FDA scraps prescription-only Claritin

Government gives OK to over-the-counter sales for widely used allergy medicine

? Some of the nation’s 40 million sniffling allergy sufferers soon won’t have to choose between a doctor’s visit or a drug that can zonk them out: The popular prescription allergy remedy Claritin will begin selling over the counter next month.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the long-awaited switch Wednesday, making Claritin the first nonsedating allergy reliever available without a prescription.

The move is sure to save uninsured allergy sufferers money but will probably prove more costly for people with insurance that pays for prescription drugs.

The question is how much more costly: Manufacturer Schering-Plough Corp. refused to say how much it will charge for Claritin when it moves the pills next to the cough syrup on drugstore shelves in mid-December.

Today, prices vary widely but a month’s supply can cost more than $100 — although the insured may pay only a co-payment, typically in the $10 to $15 range — plus a doctor’s visit to get the prescription. In Canada, where Claritin has long sold over the counter, it costs about $17.

Adding to the pricing pressure on Schering is that Claritin’s patent expires in December, and potentially cheaper generic versions — also nonprescription — from other companies are expected to start selling soon afterward.

Money aside, the FDA called its decision a milestone for drivers, because today’s over-the-counter antihistamines can make people sleepy, dangerous if they’re getting behind the wheel.

Making a nondrowsy option easier to get is good news for consumers, said Linda Golodner of the National Consumers League: “You can go to work, you can drive your car and you can function without thinking you might be falling asleep.”