A nonprofit patient advocacy group, Psoriasis Cure Now, urged a joint hearing of two Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committees to approve over-the-counter use of specific topical steroids that presently can be bought only with a prescription.

It is considered that topical corticosteroids play an important role for psoriasis treatment and help 6.5 million Americans and OTC status of these steroids could result in low cost and improved 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.”

Michael Paranzino, President of Psoriasis Cure Now, remarked that some topical steroids requiring prescription as of now could be effectively and safely used by the affected patients in an over-the-counter setting.