Cough and cold medications: Why don't they go away?

Abstract

At some level, most of us realize that the bulk of “cough and cold medications” don't really work and may be harmful to children. About six years ago, the US Food and Drug Administration and the pharmaceutical industry undertook some initiatives to limit the use of such preparations in young children, those most vulnerable to adverse effects. How well have these initiatives worked? According to a study in the current issue of The Journal, they have not had much of an impact. Using information from administrative databases, Mazer-Amirshahi et al examined prescribing patterns and over-the-counter (OTC) recommendations of these products before and after these initiatives. Although there was some change in the prescription use of these drugs, OTC recommendations were either unchanged or, in the case of older children in ambulatory clinics, actually increased. Although it may be argued (and the authors acknowledge) that sufficient time may not have elapsed for the interventions to have had an impact, this is a sobering reminder that the urge to “do something” for those pesky colds persists, even when that “something” may do more harm than good. Article page 1024▶ The Impact of Pediatric Labeling Changes on Prescribing Patterns of Cough and Cold MedicationsThe Journal of PediatricsVol. 165Issue 5PreviewTo evaluate the impact of initiatives created by the pharmaceutical industry and the Food and Drug Administration to limit the use of over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medications (CCMs) in young children in emergency departments (EDs) and ambulatory clinics. Full-Text PDF