Check Your Labels: ‘Ineffective’ Cold Medicine Pulled From Store Shelves

Employees at CVS are removing cold-and-cough treatments from their shelves after one of their key ingredients was deemed "ineffective."

Which Cold Medicine Products Are Being Removed?

According to an Associated Press report, the stores will remove "oral decongestants that contain phenylephrine as the only active ingredient."

A spokesperson told the Associated Press that CVS will still sell "many other oral cough and cold products."

According to the Yale School of Medicine, phenylephrine was long believed to be a common decongestant. The ingredient is found under such brand names as Sudafed and Dayquil.

Last month, the Food and Drug Administration advised that phenylephrine may not be as effective as they first thought.

What About Cold And Cough Products At Other Stores?

CVS is the first store to announce it will remove products connected to the FDA advisory. Only products that have phenylephrine as their sole active ingredient will be leaving CVS.

A spokesperson for Walgreens told the Associated Press the company is currently monitoring the situation, but has made no moves to eliminate the products from store shelves.

A list published by TheStreet.com following the FDA advisory in September showed medicines that contain any amount of phenylephrine. Those medicines include:

• Advil Sinus Congestion & Pain
• DayQuil Cold & Flu
• NyQuil Cold & Flu
• Flonase Headache & Allergy Relief
• Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion for Sinus Pressure & Nasal Congestion Relief
• Robitussin Nighttime Severe Multi-Sympton Cough, Cold + Flu Syrup
• Sudafed PE Sinus Congestion
• Theraflu Daytime Severe Cold Relief Berry Burst Flavor Hot Liquid Powder
• Tylenol Sinus + Headache Non-Drowsy Daytime Caplets for Nasal Congestions, Sinus Pressure & Pain Relief