title: Are you comfortable with over-the-counter intranasal steroids for children? A call to action.
abstract: The early expression of allergic rhinitis in children is a potential red flag for lifelong problems and comorbid conditions. However, treating pediatric allergic rhinitis in the United States is trending toward a self-management or parental management model with little clinical supervision, which reflects changes in the delivery of health care. Of particular concern are the recent approval of an over-the-counter intranasal steroid to treat nasal allergy symptoms in adults and children as young as age 2 years and the push for a retail model of health care as exists in some other countries. For children with allergic rhinitis, treating nasal symptoms alone with over-the-counter products may further delay a diagnosis that is often already ignored due to its "annoyance factor" as opposed to being considered a serious health issue. How to ensure an appropriate diagnosis and management for these children remains a challenge, regardless of who is doing the treating. The call to action is for allergists and allergy medical organizations to drive the effort to ensure awareness of the why and how for appropriately diagnosing and treating allergic rhinitis in children. Starting points for the discussion are provided.
authors.affiliation: Center for Asthma, Allergy, and Respiratory Diseases, Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif. Electronic address: gary@rachelefsky.com.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rachelefsky
authors.affiliation: Life Sciences Press, Canandaigua, NY.
authors.forename: Judith Rosen
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Farrar
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000486:Allergy and Immunology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs
keywords: Allergic rhinitis; Allergy specialist; Childhood rhinitis; Health care provider; Intranasal steroids; Over-the-counter; Pediatric rhinitis; Pharmacist; Pharmacy