France Bans Sale of Eight Cold Medicines Due to Health Risks

In a move to reduce health risks, France will ban the sale of eight over-the-counter medications, starting on December 11. All these medicines contain, pseudoephedrine, a vasoconstrictor. It means that these drugs, commonly used to alleviate cold symptoms by narrowing blood vessels in the nose, can also have serious side effects like boosting risks of stroke or heart attacks.

The French drug regulatory agency, l’Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament (ANSM), said that while the risk of adverse events is low, they can occur regardless of dosage or treatment duration. The agency first recommended restricting pseudoephedrine in over-the-counter cold medications in 2023, following years of concern over its cardiovascular risks. It said that these medications pose significant risks even to healthy individuals, as they block blood vessels.

Here Is The List Of Drugs That Will Be Affected:

- Actifed Rhume

- Actifed Rhume jour et nuit

- Dolirhume Paracétamol and Pseudoéphédrine

- Dolirhumepro Paracétamol Pseudoéphédrine and Doxylamine

- Humex Rhume

- Nurofen Rhume

- Rhinadvil Rhume Ibuprofène/Pseudoéphédrine

- Rhinadvilcaps Rhume Ibuprofène/Pseudoéphédrine

Vasoconstrictors can pose significant health risks, particularly for individuals with underlying heart conditions or high blood pressure. The narrowing of blood vessels can lead to increased heart rate and blood pressure, raising the risk of serious complications such as heart attack or stroke. Though the risk is generally low in healthy individuals, these side effects can occur regardless of dosage or treatment duration.

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It is pertinent to note that ANSM has been advocating for this ban since 2006, after recognizing the disproportionate risk posed by pseudoephedrine in nasal decongestants. In 2012, the Haut autorité de la santé (HAS) also emphasized the limited medical value of such treatments, citing their low efficacy and potential cardiovascular risks. Despite the ban, these drugs will still be available by prescription in France, as their safety has been approved at the European level.

Earlier in August, the Indian Health Ministry implemented a ban on 156 "irrational" FDC medicines, effective immediately. These medicines, including widely used antibiotics, painkillers, and multivitamins, were commonly used to treat fever, cough, and infections. The ban was imposed due to the associated health risks and lack of therapeutic justification for the ingredients in these FDCs

FDCs or fixed-dosed combinations, also known as "cocktail drugs," are medications that combine multiple drugs in a single pill. They are designed to treat multiple symptoms or conditions simultaneously. While they offer convenience, they can pose significant risks. These risks include the possibility of overdose, adverse interactions between the drugs, and the development of antibiotic resistance. Additionally, many FDC medicines lack sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and efficacy.

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