Ingredient Confusion with OTC Sinonasal Medications

Clinicians frequently recommend over-the-counter (OTC) products for relief of minor upper respiratory symptoms. In this two-stage study, a researcher explored the ingredients contained in common brand-name OTC sinonasal medications by identifying the 14 most common brands of sinonasal medications in the “cold, sinus, allergy, and nasal” section of five national chain pharmacies. Each sample contained one or more of only eight unique ingredients: phenylephrine, dextromethorphan, pseudoephedrine, guaifenesin, chlorpheniramine, brompheniramine, diphenhydramine, and doxylamine. In the second stage of the study, that list of ingredients guided a search of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) pharmacy website to identify all brand-name medicati…