Since the announcement of the prescription requirement for pseudoephedrine-based drugs, sales of Sinutab and similar products have seen a spectacular increase.
Distributor Febelco has seen an impressive increase in sales of Sinutab and similar drugs, reaching up to six times usual volumes since the new regulations were announced.
This increase comes after the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP) decided to subject these medicines to mandatory prescription to count from November 1, 2024.
According to Febelco, 30% of Sinutab’s usual monthly volumes have already been sold since October 1. On Thursday, October 3, daily sales were six times the October sales average.
Sinutab Forte also saw strong demand with 34% of usual volumes sold in three days.
A craze for similar drugs
This increase in sales also concerns other products in the same category as Sinutab, although containing different active ingredients. The next royal decrees, which will be published soon, will impose a medical prescription for drugs based on pseudoephedrine and fusidic acid from November.
“All patients who have heart problems, hypertension, it is really contraindicated. If you take it every day, there is an addiction that develops.“, explains Amandine Denis, pharmacist.
According to the Federal Medicines Agency, 32 patients have had to be treated in the last five years for adverse effects. Eleven of them had to be hospitalized. “11 notifications meet the definition of serious adverse reactions, each case is one case too many. We want more responsible use controlled by doctors“, says Ann Eeckhout, spokesperson for the Federal Medicines Agency.
These medicines are usually used to relieve nasal congestion related to colds, often in combination with paracetamol. However, the FAMHP points out that pseudoephedrine is not recommended in any therapeutic guide for the treatment of colds.
The FAMHP indicates that the over-the-counter sale of these medications could encourage their excessive use, which reinforces the need for this new regulation.
medicine Belgian health company Sinutab
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