Why useless decongestants are still for sale

Phenylephrine doesnt work better than a placebo. So why is it still on shelves?

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If youve taken an over-the-counter decongestant in the past 20 years, youve probably taken something with phenylephrine as the main active ingredient. A Food and Drug Administration panel recently recommended that it be taken off shelves because it doesnt work any better than a placebo. What happened?

In the above video, Voxs Phil Edwards chronicles the history of the FDAs regulation of over-the-counter medicines. That process is the reason that, despite decades of evidence that phenylephrine doesnt work (especially in typical OTC doses), its remained an option for consumers.

Watch the above video to learn more.

Further reading:

Heres the Congressional Research report on FDA regulation of over-the-counter drugs, if you want a rich primer: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46985/2

This is the PowerPoint given before the FDA panel presentation and discussion on Phenylephrine, and its probably the most digestible way to get the full debate: https://www.fda.gov/media/171971/download

Heres Part II of the FDAs Zoom meeting on Phenylephrine (including the vote and discussion): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUyuzjjnGfA

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