Healthcare Costs

Fewer prescriptions, lower costs follow Claritin's over-the-counter switch

Published in Managed Care Weekly Digest, July 4th, 2005

After the allergy drug Claritin became available without a prescription in 2002, insurance plans and consumers spent less on the prescription form of its main ingredient, loratadine, and all similar allergy drugs, according to a new report.

Contrary to what Patrick Sullivan, PhD, of the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy, and colleagues expected, patients did not turn to other prescription drugs for allergies and asthma or to antibiotics in greater numbers after loratadine lost its prescription-only status. Their findings were published in the American Journal of Managed Care.

"Instead, there were fewer prescriptions and lower costs for...

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Source: Managed Care Weekly Digest (2005-07-04)

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