Oxymetazoline hydrochloride is a widely-used decongestant. Chemically, it is an imidazole derivative and has the structure of 6-tert-butyl-3-(3-immidazolin-2-ylemethyl)-2,4-dimthyl-phenol hydrochloride. It was first approved as a prescription drug in 1966 as nasal spray decongestant, then it became one of the over-the-counter drugs on 1975. Consequently, the FDA approved it for patients above 6 years. Oxymetazoline is an alpha adrenergic agonist with activity on the alpha 2 more than the alpha one. It is widely used as nasal spray decongestant in the common cold. The FDA in January 2014 approved the oxymetazoline hydrochloride cream 1% for Allergan company to be used in the treatment of the “persistent facial erythema associated with rosacea
