What is the differance between loratidine and desloratidine?

A purified form: Loratidine is a mixture of equal parts desloratidine & its inactive mirror image compound. In biochemistry there are many such molecules with identical chemical formula that act differently because of "handedness". The inactive part of loratidine is safely removed by your body. Effects & side-effects are the same. Major difference: loratidine is over-the-counter; desloratidine is prescription.