A joint hearing of two Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committees was urged by Psoriasis Cure Now, a nonprofit patient advocacy group, to approve over-the-counter (OTC) use of specific topical steroids that presently require a prescription.

Topical corticosteroids play a major role when it comes to treating as many as 6.5 million American suffering with psoriasis. It was said that OTC use of these steroids could result in reduced costs 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.”

Some topical steroids that presently require a prescription could be safely used by patients affected by psoriasis in an over-the-counter setting, as per Michael Paranzino, President of Psoriasis Cure Now.