Mild steroid cream (itch, rash, bites) · ATC D07AA02
Hydrocortisone (cream)
Cortizone-10 in the US
The international (INN) name. Pharmacists everywhere recognize it, even when the local brand differs (e.g. Cortizone-10, HC45, FeniHydrocort).
Sold for: bites, hives and itchy rashes.
Creams up to 1% are sold without a prescription; anything stronger needs one, as in the US.
Needs a prescription. Many pharmacies have a doctor’s office next door that can examine you and prescribe on the spot for a small fee.
Sold over the counter, but Terra-Cortril is not plain hydrocortisone: it combines hydrocortisone with the antibiotic oxytetracycline. Check the active ingredients on the pack.
The 0.5% cream needs no prescription; 1% needs one. Clobetasone (Eumovate) and mometasone creams are also sold without a prescription.