{"id":16630,"date":"2020-11-02T14:59:05","date_gmt":"2020-11-02T19:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=16630"},"modified":"2020-11-02T14:59:05","modified_gmt":"2020-11-02T19:59:05","slug":"sklice-over-the-counter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/news\/sklice-over-the-counter\/","title":{"rendered":"FDA approves Rx-to-OTC switch for head lice lotion"},"content":{"rendered":"

In non-pandemic years, every parent dreads getting a particular phone call or note from their children\u2019s preschool or elementary school: \u201cYour child has head lice and cannot return to school until it\u2019s been eradicated.\u201d Now parents have an easier option for treating their children and getting rid of pesky<\/span> head lice<\/span><\/a>, so their kids can go back to the classroom, sooner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a previously prescription-only lotion for over-the-counter (OTC) use to treat head lice. <\/span>Sklice<\/span><\/a> (ivermectin) is applied to the scalp and hair to kill the lice for 10 minutes before being rinsed thoroughly away with water.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Six to 12 million cases of head lice occur each year in children between the ages of 3 and 11 years old in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).<\/span><\/p>\n

This news will be a comfort to all those frustrated parents looking for an effective way to eliminate those tiny parasitic insects and their even tinier eggs, known as nits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How the change was made<\/span><\/h2>\n

The 0.5% ivermectin lotion was originally approved by the FDA in 2012 for the use in people ages 6 months and older. It\u2019s manufactured by Arbor Pharmaceuticals, LLC. Prior to this decision, Sklice was only available with a prescription.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The FDA used its Rx-to-OTC switch process to make this single-use lotion available at the drugstore to patients without a visit to the pediatrician first.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The approval \u201cexpands access to another effective topical treatment for the thousands of people with head lice,\u201d says<\/span> Theresa Michele, MD<\/span><\/a>, acting director of the Office of Nonprescription Drugs in the FDA\u2019s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in a statement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The Rx-to-OTC process was designed to increase consumer access to drugs that are usually only available by prescription. According to the FDA, these switches are typically initiated by the drug manufacturers. They must demonstrate that the drug can be used safely if offered without a prescription.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>(Another form of ivermectin in a 1.0% formula continues to require a prescription. This version, which is used in the topical treatment of rosacea, is sold under the brand name<\/span> Soolantra<\/span><\/a>, from Galderma Laboratories.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Other head lice treatments<\/span><\/h2>\n

In addition to Sklice, parents can also try these <\/span>treatment options<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>They can opt for an OTC product shampoo that contains<\/span> permethrin<\/span><\/a>, an insecticide which is toxic to lice, or a compound known as pyrethrin. Options include:<\/span><\/p>\n