May 24, 2013
The popular allergy remedy Claritin now will be sold over the counter.
The Food and Drug Administration approval will save money for allergy sufferers who don't have health insurance. It may cost money for people who got their Claritin under their insurance coverage.
Claritin already has been sold without prescription in Canada. In Canada, a month's supply of non-prescription Claritin is about $17. It is $60 by U.S. prescription. But many insurance companies cap individual co-payments at around $10.
Money aside, proponents of the switch argued that Claritin is safer than antihistamines. Claritin does not make people drowsy -- antihistamines can.
