Actifed Rhume, Dolirhume or even Nurofen, used in cases of winter colds, could soon be banned for sale. These medications contain pseudoephedrine, a molecule that can cause serious side effects.
Getting through the winter without getting sick thanks to anti-cold treatment will soon no longer be possible. According to The Parisian which quotes the AFP, the best-known anti-cold medications, Actifed, Dolirhume, Humex, Nurofen and Rhinadvil, will soon be banned from self-service sales in pharmacies.
A measure which is explained by the presence of a molecule, pseudoephedrine, which is likely to cause side effects such as strokes and heart attacks. This is why the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) mentioned this Thursday, November 21, that “the delivery of these medications without a medical prescription no longer appears appropriate”. According to the source, the ANSM wants the free sale of these treatments in pharmacies to be made impossible, with immediate effect.
A solution that doesn't suit anyone
If the measure is confirmed, this would lead to a conflicting situation with pharmacists on the one hand and consumers on the other. “It will become complicated for us to respond to patients’ problems”estimates Béatrice Clairaz-Mahiou, co-president of the French-speaking Society of Officinal Pharmaceutical Sciences (SFSPO), in the columns of Pharmacist's Daily. In addition, it is a further reduction in the provision of care for the French.
Finally, a final barrier opposes the sales ban desired by the ANSM, it is the European Medicines Agency (EMA). According to the latter, the risks of side effects of anti-cold treatments are not common enough to be covered by a sales ban. According to The Parisian which quotes the AFP, no deaths have been reported in France. However, the ANSM remains convinced that “too many patients remain exposed to serious risks compared to the modest benefits of these drugs.”
published on November 22 at 5:50 p.m., Allan Doisneau, 6Medias
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