Scabies can be treated with prescription medication called scabicides, which kill scabies mites and eggs. Scabicides used to treat human scabies are available only with a doctor’s prescription, and no over-the-counter products have been tested and approved to treat scabies. The following medications are commonly used to treat scabies:

• Permethrin cream: This is the drug of choice for the treatment of scabies. It is safe and effective when used as directed, and kills the scabies mite and eggs.
• Sulfur cream: This is a scabies treatment that can be applied overnight, rinsed off, and then reapplied for five nights in a row. Sulfur is safe to use in pregnancy and in children under 2 months old.
• Ivermectin: This can be taken as a pill to treat scabies when prescription lotions dont work.
• Benzyl benzoate: This may be used as an alternative topical agent to permethrin. However, this agent may cause immediate skin irritation.
• Keratolytic cream: A topical keratolytic cream may also be used to help reduce the crusting of the skin and aid in the absorption of the topical permethrin or benzyl benzoate.

It is important to follow the instructions contained in the box or printed on the label carefully, and to contact a doctor or pharmacist if unsure how to use a particular medicine. In addition to medication, it is recommended to wash or dry clean all bedding and towels, and wash any clothing that has been worn since getting scabies on the hottest setting and dry them on the hot cycle for at least 20 minutes. Infected items that cannot be washed can be put in a sealed bag for at least 3 days until the scabies mites and their eggs die out. Vacuuming carpets and furniture where infected people hung out is also recommended.