Claritin-D Generic

Many different versions of generic Claritin-D are available. These medications are available in two strengths: loratadine/pseudoephedrine 12 hour and loratadine/pseudoephedrine 24 hour. Several drug companies currently manufacture generic versions of Claritin-D, including IMPAX Laboratories and Ranbaxy Laboratories. As with the brand-name version, the generic versions are used to treat nasal symptoms related to allergies or the common cold.

Claritin-D Allergy Medicine

Generic Claritin-D: An Overview

Claritin-D^® (loratadine and pseudoephedrine sulfate) is a non-prescription medication approved to treat allergies and nasal congestion due to the common cold. It contains two different medications: loratadine (an antihistamine) and pseudoephedrine (a decongestant). Claritin-D was originally a prescription-only product, but was switched to non-prescription status.

Claritin-D is manufactured by Schering-Plough HealthCare Products, Inc. However, many different generic versions of Claritin-D are now available.

Understanding Generic Non-Prescription Products

For prescription drugs, generic versions must go through certain tests to compare them to brand-name medications.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) then looks at these tests to decide if the generic versions are equivalent to the brand-name medications and assigns a rating to each one. However, non-prescription products (including Claritin-D) are regulated differently, and no generic equivalence ratings are given. Therefore, it is usually impossible to say with certainty that a "generic" non-prescription medication is completely equivalent to the brand-name product. However, the term "generic" is usually used to refer to any product that contains the same active ingredient in the same strength and in the same form as the brand-name product.

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