Implications of a switch from prescription to over-the-counter status for allergy drugs.

Several drugs for the treatment of allergic conditions, previously available only by prescription, can now be purchased over-the-counter (OTC). The OTC availability of allergy drugs has the potential to increase patient access to these medications. At the same time, OTC availability transfers a number of decisions from the health care provider to the patient and might alter the role of the physician in allergy management. For example, patients must correctly self-diagnosis that their symptoms are due to an allergy, and identify the appropriate type of allergy medication to use. OTC drug availability has economic implications for the patient and physician, as well as for the health care insurance and pharmaceutical industries. Therefore, although OTC access to allergy medications facilitates treatment of allergies by consumers, more research is required to understand the true public health and economic impacts of OTC availability of these drugs.