title: Benefit/risk considerations with respect to OTC-descheduling of loperamide.
abstract: The main criteria to be considered for releasing an antidiarrhoeal from a prescription to an OTC-drug are guaranteed quality control, established efficacy and safety and the evaluation of the drug experience on major markets. Besides the considerable benefits from a socio-economic point of view, the risk for potential inappropriate use of loperamide (CAS 53179-11-6) as self-medication can be minimized by its use being avoided in children of 5 years of age or less (e.g. by making available a solid formulation only), by limiting the treatment duration to 48 h, and by contraindicating the use of the drug in cases of fever (> 38 degrees C) and/or blood in the stools. On the basis of a broad review loperamide can be considered to be efficacious in acute non-specific, acute functional and traveller's diarrhoea. The agent has a good safety profile if the mentioned restrictions are born in mind. Loperamide thus satisfies the OTC criteria.
authors.affiliation: IMS International, London, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Steffen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: DuPont
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008139:Loperamide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D012306:Risk; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D014195:Travel
chemical_list: D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D008139:Loperamide