Cold Medications to Require a Prescription Starting Wednesday: ANSM’s Decision Due to Associated Risks

The French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM) has decided to make a prescription mandatory for the purchase of eight cold treatments starting this Wednesday. This measure aims to protect patients, taking into account the numerous contraindications and side effects of pseudoephedrine, while acknowledging the mild nature of a cold.

The ANSM specified that easy access to these medications posed an excessive risk. Among the medications affected are Actifed Rhume, Dolirhume Paracetamol and Pseudoephedrine, Humex Rhume, Nurofen Rhume, and others containing the molecule pseudoephedrine. This decision, anticipated by many, follows previous warnings from the ANSM, which since 2023 had advised against using these products due to potential risks such as strokes and heart attacks.

Mixed Reactions Within the Medical Community

While some healthcare professionals welcome this precautionary measure, some pharmacists are concerned about the practical implications for their work, especially in a context where medical appointments are often difficult to obtain. Others, like the independent journal Prescrire, believe that authorities were slow to act to protect the public.

An Unacceptable Risk

French authorities have deemed that, despite the rarity of serious side effects, even a low risk was unjustifiable for such a mild ailment as a cold. This decision aligns with the recommendations of French health professional associations that advise against the use of these medications in favor of safer alternatives.