2023-10-21 18:16:16
A U.S. retail company made the decision Thursday to immediately remove certain oral cold and cough products from its shelves following a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel determined last month that their active ingredient was not effective.
• Read also: No better than a placebo: a decongestant for colds is ineffective, experts say
The company, CVS Pharmacy, made this decision as the FDA announced on Tuesday, September 12, that it had unanimously concluded that phenylephrine, supposed to act as a decongestant, was ineffective.
“We are voluntarily removing from CVS Pharmacy stores certain oral cough and cold products that contain phenylephrine as the sole active ingredient,” a CVS spokesperson said.
“Other oral cough and cold products will continue to be offered to meet consumer needs. We are aware of the position of the FDA Advisory Committee on Oral Phenylephrine and will follow FDA guidance to ensure that the products we sell comply with all laws and regulations,” the spokesperson continued.
Shortages to be faced with?
Oral phenylephrine is found in many flu and cold remedies, such as Tylenol, Mucinex and Benadryl, the New York Times reported last month.
The advisory group’s announcement immediately raised concerns regarding possible shortages, since businesses might be forced to remove products containing only phenylephrine as the active ingredient from their shelves.
The FDA clarified that neither the agency nor the committee raised any safety concerns related to the use of oral phenylephrine at the recommended dose.
Still according to the FDA, the committee’s recommendations only concerned phenylephrine administered orally and not the nasal spray form.
The use of phenylephrine in orally administered medications might be banned by an agency vote.
In the event of such a scenario, the FDA assured that it would “work closely with manufacturers to reformulate products as necessary to ensure the availability of safe and effective products to treat the symptoms of the common cold or allergies,” reports the New York Post.
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