Quite likely, if they contain oral phenylephrine, say three professors at the University of Florida’s College of Pharmacy. They filed a citizen’s petition earlier this month asking the FDA to reconsider the current use of a 10mg dose of this ingredient in a raft of popular over-the-counter meds sold to relieve stuffy noses.

Drugmakers recently began using phenylephrine after restrictions were placed last year on pseudoephredine, which was being used to make methamphetamine. But only a 10mg dose is found in the products, thanks to a 1976 FDA decision that doesn’t require updated studies.

“And this low dose simply isn’t effective,” says Randy Hatton who, along with his colleagues, conducted a meta-analysis that can be seen in The Annals of Pharmacotherapy. “We weren’t able to show it was any different than a placebo at a the 10mg dose.”

Instead, they believe a 25mg dose might be more effective. But that would require safety and effectiveness studies, which cost money and that’s something the pharmaceutical industry may not be keen to do. After all, their existing products are already selling nicely.

“But it’d be responsible on their part,” says Hatton. “People are spending an awful lot of money on these products and it’d be great to have more information about what really works.”[tags]Citizen’s Petition, FDA, Nasal Decongestants, Phenylephrine[/tags]