The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday it would seek public opinion before finalizing its decision to remove a decongestant widely used in cough syrups from the agency’s list of ingredients for over-the-counter (OTC) use.
The FDA’s clarification follows a unanimous vote by its panel of outside experts on Tuesday against the effectiveness of oral OTC medicines made with phenylephrine, an ingredient widely used in cold and cough syrups.
If the FDA concurs with the panel’s view, it will first issue a proposed order removing phenylephrine from the list of ingredients that are allowed in OTC drugs, and seek public comment on it.
After considering the comments, if the FDA continues to conclude phenylephrine is not effective, the agency would issue a final order on it and work with manufacturers to reformulate products to effectively treat symptoms of cold or allergies.
I always (anecdotally) knew that this was just a cash grab by pharma companies to have “something” available without having to go to the pharmacy counter. It never worked for me, so I moved to other remedies if I ran out of psuedoepbedrine - steam, menthol, lemon/ginger/honey concoctions. All more effective for me.
I just go to the pharmacy counter because i’m an adult. No replacement for pseudo out there that i’ve seen in folk remedies. Do like honey and limon water for throat stuff though.
Yep, I’ve made my trips to go on the Federal List of People with Head Colds.
I just use Vicks and/or steam. Pseudo aggravates my existing anxiety, although it does do its job on congestion.