Pollen is in the air and a fierce allergy season is underway, affecting an estimated 36 million Americans with seasonal allergies. Many sufferers with stuffy noses or watery eyes will visit their pharmacies for relief, but this year they may not find their familiar medications on store shelves.
Many states have restricted access to some popular over-the-counter treatments for nasal congestion because they contain pseudoephedrine, a common ingredient in decongestant medications that has been used to make illegal drugs.
As a decongestant, pseudoephedrine is safe and effective when used as directed, but the state laws mean allergy sufferers may have to ask for these treatments at the pharmacy counter, sign an official registry to monitor their purchases, or show photo identification before purchasing. And some states also have imposed limits on how much medicine a customer can buy.
In addition to state laws, the president recently signed federal restrictions on these decongestants, which will eventually lead to national regulations for pseudoephedrine at the pharmacy.
What’s an
Allergy Sufferer to Do?
These provisions make seeing a doctor even more important this season. A physician can properly diagnose allergies and prescribe the appropriate medications to treat symptoms. Combination antihistamine and decongestant treatments, such as CLARINEX-D