Voluntary removal of popular cold-and-cough medications from store shelves fuels conspiracy theories
FILE - Sudafed and other common nasal decongestants containing pseudoephedrine are on display behind the counter at Hospital Discount Pharmacy in Edmond, Okla., Jan. 11, 2005. Social media users are falsely claiming that all over-the-counter cold and cough medications have been pulled from drugstore shelves in recent days. But only some over-the-counter cold and cough medicines that contain phenylephrine as a single ingredient are being voluntarily removed at CVS stores after an FDA advisory committee found the ingredient to be ineffective. (AP Photo, File)
CLAIM: Over-the-counter cold and cough medications are being pulled from drugstore shelves in an effort to start the “next plandemic” or force people to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. Not all cold medications are being removed from all store shelves. Some over-the-counter cold and cough medicines that contain phenylephrine as a single ingredient are being voluntarily removed at CVS stores after an FDA advisory committee found the ingredient to be ineffective. Medical experts tell The Associated Press that brands still provide other cold medications with ingredients to relieve symptoms like congestion, but they do not prevent illness like a flu vaccine would.
THE FACTS: With the flu season off to an early start, posts on social media are raising suspicions around the removal of some common types of cough and cold medications from store shelves.
“Dayquil, Mucinex, Sudafed, Theraflu, and many others are being pulled off the shelves,” reads one post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Just in time for the next plandemic. Just in time for the next election. But no....Nothing to see here.”
The post references “Plandemic,” which is a documentary-style video that promoted baseless allegations around COVID-19 vaccinations and government stay at home orders at the time.
But this latest move is grounded in recent findings by experts assembled by the FDA that found phenylephrine taken orally was no more effective than taking a dummy pill.
In 2007, the FDA asked outside advisers to take another look at phenylephrine after it became the main drug used in over-the-counter decongestants when pseudoephedrine was moved behind pharmacy counters. A 2006 law forced the move because pseudoephedrine was being illegally used to produce methamphetamine.
CVS Health announced in October it would remove a small number of oral decongestants that contain phenylephrine as the only active ingredient. Phenylephrine is found in popular versions of Sudafed, Dayquil and other medications. Other national chain drug stores have not pulled any products. The FDA told the AP in a statement it has not asked manufacturers or retail pharmacies to remove products containing the drug.
In a statement to the AP, Walgreens said the company is monitoring the situation and partnering with its clinical integrity office and suppliers “on appropriate next steps.” Rite Aid told the AP in a statement that it follows guidance from FDA and are “committed to providing convenient access to approved products to address our customers’ healthcare needs.”
“While some may find the timing of this FDA advisory committee conclusion being released during the cold and flu season to be less than ideal, hopefully it prompts patients to speak with their healthcare providers about other options that may actually be more effective for them,” Michael Hegener, an associate professor of pharmacy at the University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, wrote to the AP.
While medical experts tell the AP that the FDA’s ruling on the drug’s efficacy was not surprising, there have been no safety concerns around its use at prescribed levels, said Dr. Lauren Eggert, a clinical assistant professor at the division of pulmonary, allergy, and critical care medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.
“I just want to reiterate that it’s completely safe,” Eggert said regarding the usage of phenylephrine. “It really is just the question of efficacy.” Eggert also noted this advisory only helps push patients toward using medications that are more effective.
Experts told the AP that other versions of Sudafed and cold medications that do not use phenylephrine are still available. Sudafed with pseudoephedrine, for example, relieves cold symptoms but it is stocked behind the pharmacy counter.
“My recommendation for the common cold is supportive care,” said Eggert, who recommends staying rested and hydrated if a person is ill, and notes that getting the necessary vaccines such as the flu vaccine is key to prevention.
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