CVS pulls some cough and cold medications

CVS is not waiting for any official call from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding certain cough and cold medicines. The retailer is pulling them from the shelves, reports CNBC.

A month ago, a panel of advisors to the FDA said the chief ingredient used in oral cough and cold medicines — oral phenylephrine — does not actually work to clear nose congestion when taken by mouth.

Over-the-counter products like NyQuil, Benadryl, Sudafed, and Mucinex all contain phenylephrine, and the FDA has not made a ruling on what to do. CVS is removing all products that list oral phenylephrine as its only active ingredient.

“We are aware of the FDA Advisory Committee’s position on oral phenylephrine and will follow direction from the FDA to ensure products we sell comply with all laws and regulations,” CVS said in an emailed statement to Supermarket News.  “We are removing a small number of oral decongestant products that contain phenylephrine as the only active ingredient from CVS stores but will continue offering many other oral cough and cold products to meet consumer needs.”

The decision could be a costly one. CNBC reports 242 million bottles of drugs containing phenylephrine were sold in the U.S. in 2022, a 30% increase from 2021, and generated $1.8 billion in sales.

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