Some sinus medication might not actually work
An FDA panel concluded phenylephrine, a key ingredient in many over-the-counter cold and allergy medications, doesn’t work to get rid of nasal congestion.
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CVS is removing over-the-counter allergy and cold medicines containing phenylephrine, a popular decongestant ingredient. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that phenylephrine is no more effective than a placebo when taken orally.
“We are removing a small number of oral decongestant products that contain phenylephrine as the only active ingredient from CVS Pharmacy stores but will continue offering many other oral cough and cold products to meet consumer needs,” said a spokesperson for CVS Health.
Phenylephrine is found in name brand decongestants like Sudafed and Dayquil, and became the primary ingredient in these medications after pseudoephedrine access was restricted in 2006.
Products such as Dayquil that have a combination of active ingredients will still be available at CVS.
More: FDA panel declares decongestant phenylephrine ineffective. What it is and what products contain it
The effectiveness of phenylephrine in relieving nasal congestion has been disputed since 2007.
In September, an FDA panel unanimously voted that oral phenylephrine is ineffective after reviewing data dating back to 1994. However, this panel vote is not a medical determination.
No safety issues were found with taking oral phenylephrine.
Experts believe that removing phenylephrine from medications could potentially lower healthcare costs and encourage the use of more effective treatments, such as visiting a doctor.
Last year, medications containing phenylephrine generated $1.8 billion in sales according to the FDA report.
Not all pharmacy chains are removing products containing phenylephrine. Rite Aid, for example, will continue to stock these over-the-counter medications:
“Our pharmacists are available to provide guidance to customers on over-the-counter solutions for alleviating symptoms associated with colds and other illnesses.”
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected].
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