France bans over-the-counter pharmacy sales for 8 cold medications

The National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) in France has imposed new restrictions on the sale of eight common cold medications that were previously available over-the-counter, citing concerns about patient misuse and risks of contraindications.

ANSM has announced that all cold medications containing pseudoephedrine must be removed from pharmacy shelves and can only be obtained with a doctor’s prescription starting 11th December 2024.

Pseudoephedrine, an ingredient found in products such as Actifed Rhume, Dolirhume Paracétamol Pseudoephedrine and Doxylamine, is commonly available as nasal sprays or tablets.