Rite Aid Will Keep Selling Oral Phenylephrine Despite FDA Panel Doubts; CVS To Remove Products

Rite Aid will keep selling medications with phenylephrine despite FDA panel finding ingredient ineffective when taken orally. Rite Aid will comply if FDA ultimately decides to remove the products.

CVS has said it will remove oral medications containing phenylephrine as the only active ingredient from its stores.

Walgreens is deferring to federal regulators and has not made a decision yet on removing oral phenylephrine products.

FDA advisory committee voted that scientific data does not support phenylephrine as an effective oral nasal decongestant.

Group representing OTC drug makers opposes any regulatory changes, citing evidence supporting phenylephrine and negative consequences of removing it.