6 July 2018 - Deborah Wilkes
Germany's Expert Committee for Prescription has recommended that the antihistamine levocetirizine should be switched from prescription to non-prescription status for oral use.
Levocetirizine already has non-prescription status in a number of countries including Australia, Hungary, New Zealand, Poland and the US.
At a meeting on 3 July 2018, the Expert Committee for Prescription also recommended that skincare preparations containing sodium bituminosulfonate and hydrocortisone acetate should be switched from prescription to non-prescription status.
The committee also voted in favour of extending the non-prescription availability of diclofenac for external use as a plaster.
However, the committee rejected an application to switch the muscle relaxant methocarbamol from prescription to non-prescription status for oral use.
The committee's recommendations have to be approved by the German health ministry and the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat.
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