FAQs
WartPeel requires a prescription from a prescriber. Your prescriber will send a prescription to one of the compounding pharmacy locations that are licensed in the state in which you live.
The turnaround time from the prescriber sending the order to the pharmacy, to the time the patient will receive the WartPeel averages about 7-10 days. This could be longer or shorter, with the greatest factors being the ability to reach the patient and confirm their order, the volume of prescriptions being processed at the pharmacy, and regional or local postal shipping delays.
Since WartPeel is a cosmetic product, most insurance companies do not cover this product. In many cases, the prescription is eligible to be paid for using a Flex Spending Account or a Health Savings Account.
The patient may also choose to self-submit a claim for consideration of reimbursement from their insurance company themselves. However, patients should be aware that MedCara is not able to release any proprietary formula information to the insurance company, and often the claims are denied.
You will receive a receipt, an information sheet, and a prescription vial. The vial contains a syringe with the medication, two blue applicators, and a roll of Blenderm tape.
It depends on the size, the number, and depth of the warts. Most patients have not needed refills on WartPeel. However, some may require refills to complete a long course of treatment and/or application to a large number of warts.
Your prescriber may have added refills on the prescription. You can locate this information on the vial that contains the medication. If you do have refills, you can contact the compounding pharmacy using the phone number listed on the label to ask for a refill. If your prescriber did not include refills, our pharmacy will contact them to request refills. You should expect to receive your refill in 7-10 days once the refill request has been approved.
After the first few days of application, the wart will usually turn white in color and may swell due to the burst skin cells and excess water in the tissue. This may resemble a callous. The medication and covering are working to destroy the top layers of wart tissue, giving the white appearance. The prescriber may offer instruction on the proper way to remove this excess tissue. Patients may also be instructed to periodically follow-up with the prescriber for professional debridement (removal of dead skin tissue) of the wart.
The prescribed quantity is a standard amount that may not be completely used over the course of treatment.
Most patients will require a minimum 3-4 weeks of treatment and many will need at least 1-2 months. Appearance of the wart over the course of therapy varies among patients, so there is not a standard duration of treatment or discontinuation timeline. Some patients have reported treating until normal skin tone or skin lines reappear. A follow-up appointment with a prescriber is beneficial in order to determine when to discontinue.
Redness and irritation around the wart(s) are most commonly reported and can be minimized with careful application. Though uncommon, additional adverse effects include burning, crusting, allergic contact dermatitis, itchiness, scarring, rash, soreness, and ulceration. If applying WartPeel causes ulceration or pain, you may stop using the medication for a few days so it can heal. Call your doctor or get medical help if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.
The vast majority of warts have been reported on the hands and feet. Most patients have found it difficult and inconvenient to wear tape on their hands during the day and the tape usually falls off or slides on the feet due to perspiration. Unless directed by the prescriber, most patients remove the tape and medication during the day.
We supply a roll of Blenderm tape made by 3-M. Blenderm is a latex free, occlusive (sealing from air and preventing water loss from the skin) tape that works well with the application of WartPeel. Duct tape may be used if desired based on individual preference or prescriber preference. You should not use a Band-Aid to cover the wart.
You should use the blue applicators, or other utensil such as a Q-tip or toothpick, to prevent any direct contact between the wart and syringe tip because it can contaminate the medication in the syringe.
You should wash them with soap and water after each use.
Store this medication in the prescription vial at a controlled room temperature out of direct sunlight. It should be stored out of the reach of children.
WartPeel should not be used past the beyond-use date. Doing so will not cause the intended effect and can result in potentially harmful effects.
Refer to your individual state’s regulations for drug disposal. Many local law enforcement agencies participate in "take-back” days several times per year. These local events and other local permanent collection programs can be found on the DEA website.
WartPeel has not been studied in pregnant or nursing women so it is not recommended these populations be exposed to the medication. Although previous studies have shown minimal medication will be absorbed into the body when applied on the wart, the product contains 5-fluorouracil which can cause birth defects when used in higher doses. It is important to keep this product out of direct contact with pregnant or nursing mothers. If there is not another individual available to apply the medication to the patient, pregnant/nursing individuals should wear gloves and wash their hands well after assisting with application.
Wartpeel has been studied in patients as young as 4 years old but some dermatologists have used the medication in younger patients. Speak with your dermatologist if your child is under 4 years old.
The individual active components of WartPeel (salicylic acid and 5-fluorouracil) are FDA approved and have been used and documented to treat warts. The combination product is a customized medication developed exclusively by MedCara that is not approved by the FDA. For further information, watch a pharmacist discuss the product in more detail in our Patient Education Video.
For questions on WartPeel, feel free to use the toll-free number listed on your prescription label to contact us over the course of your treatment. An additional resource available is the WartPeel training video.