CVS Is Planning to Pull Select Cold Medicines from Store Shelves — Here's Why!

The retailer said it will continue to offer "many other oral cough and cold products to meet consumer needs"

CVS is planning to remove select over-the-counter allergy and cold medicines from its store shelves.

Last month, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel determined that phenylephrine, a key ingredient in many of the medications, does work as intended to get rid of nasal congestion.

While the FDA has not officially asked drug manufacturers and retailers to remove products containing the oral ingredient — which is found in versions of NyQuil, Benadryl, Sudafed and Mucinex — CVS has decided to go ahead and do so anyway.

"We are aware of the FDA Advisory Committee’s position on oral phenylephrine (PE) and will follow direction from the FDA to ensure products we sell comply with all laws and regulations," a CVS spokesperson tells PEOPLE in a statement.

"We are removing a small number of oral decongestant products that contain phenylephrine as the only active ingredient from CVS Pharmacy stores but will continue offering many other oral cough and cold products to meet consumer needs," they add.

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Related: FDA Panel Says a Common Cold Medicines’ Decongestant Does Not Work, Here's Why

During the FDA's meeting last month, scientists presented results from five studies worked on over the past 20 years, highlighting the effectiveness of using phenylephrine orally.

The studies all concluded that the decongestant was just as effective as a placebo, according to the FDA.

Per the research, only a small amount of phenylephrine actually reaches the nose to relieve congestion when the drug is taken orally.

The FDA will next need to determine whether or not to remove phenylephrine's over-the-counter status or ban products with the ingredient entirely.

According to The New York Times, the process could take months, or even longer, if the results are contested.

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