For years, the drug phenylephrine has been a popular choice for relieving nasal congestion, however, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering removing oral phenylephrine medicines from pharmacy shelves. Recent FDA findings suggest it lacks effectiveness.

Phenylephrine became widely used in cold and flu products as a safer alternative to pseudoephedrine. While pseudoephedrine is effective, it carries some misuse risks – with criminals using it to make methamphetamine. However, recent studies question whether phenylephrine is effective when taken orally.

In the UK and other countries, there is now a discussion about the ethics of continuing to sell it. So, should the UK take action?

There are pros and cons to removing phenylephrine from UK shelves. On one hand, continuing to sell a potentially ineffective product could harm public trust in over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. Consumers........

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