Prescription to Over-the-Counter Drug Reclassification (Topical Medications Table)- May 1, 1998


	Articles \| Departments \| Patient Information

Prescription Drugs Now Available as Over-the-Counter Products

TABLE 1 (Topical Medications) Prescription Drugs Now Available as Over-the-Counter Products

Product class	Active ingredients/availability	Brand name(s)	OTC indications	Usual dosage	Cost*
Topical medications	Minoxidil solution 2%	Rogaine	Hair regrowth	1 mL applied to scalp twice daily	$30.00 per 2 oz
	Hydrocortisone acetate 1%, cream‡	Maximum Strength Cortaid	Temporary relief of itching associated with minor skin irritations, inflammation and rashes	Apply to affected area three to four times daily	$3.00 per 0.5 oz $4.00 per 1 oz
OTC = over-the-counter. *--Estimated cost to the pharmacist based on average wholesale prices, rounded to the nearest dollar, per dosage unit, in Red book. Montvale, N.J.: Medical Economics Data, 1998. Cost to the patient will be greater, depending on prescription filling fee. †--Nicotine therapy should not be used in a patient who continues to smoke. ‡--Previously available in 0.5 percent cream and ointment. One percent cream and ointment now available as generic products.