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France: Most counter medicine useless or risky

Most medication that you can buy over the counter is either useless or at worst dangerous for your health, a study by a French consumer group has concluded.

Published: 3 December 2015 16:59 CET
France: Most counter medicine useless or risky

Most medicines and tablets to treat sore throats, colds, flu, stomach troubles and various other illnesses are a waste of money, an investigation by 60 Million Consumers has found.

The group looked at 61 medicines that are sold over the counter in France without customers needing a prescription.

On those they tested 28 were considered to have side effects so severe they were classed as dangerous.

Certain medications were found to have effects that actually made things far worse than the original condition they were designed to treat.

There were examples of skin creams which could lead to sleep problems if used regularly and pills to unblock noses containing pseudoephedrine, that carries the risk of causing cardiovascular problems.

Helene Berthelot, a pharmacist who supervised the report also talked of patients being admitted to hospital with intestinal bleeding after taking too many tablets for a sore throat.

The effectiveness of as many as 20 others was either “weak or not proven” although at least they rarely had any undesired effects.

Only 13 medications like the medicine Clarix, Vicks vaporub, Imodiumcaps and Gaviscon were judged to be effective in treating the condition.

“We are in favour of self-medication but only if the user is well informed about side-effects and method of use and the products are perfect,” said Thomas Laurenceau from 60 Million Consumers.

“Over the years we have noticed more and more undesired side effects, it's very worrying.”

The magazine says customers should be really aware of their symptoms before purchasing the medication, normally be in good health and only take then for a limited amount of time.

In France around 2,500 medicines are available over the counter but in many cases customers are badly informed about them and the risks they carry, for examples Strepsils Lidocaine for sore throats and Contalax, for constipation. 

Berthelot says pharmacists can make a lot of money from over the counter medicines, but they should still sell the correct products. 

The list of 28 medicines to be avoid according to 60 Millions Consumers.

Here is the list of 28 drugs “should be avoided,” according to 60 million consumers, because of their unfavorable risk-benefit ratio.
 
• Cold: Actifed (cold day and night); Nurofen cold; Rhinadvil ibuprofen and pseudoephedrine cold); Actifed cold; Dolirhume (paracetamol and pseudoephedrine); Humexlib (chlorphenamine paracetamol).
 
• Influenza: Actifed (flu symptoms); Doli (flu symptoms); Fervex (pheniramine adult without sugar).
 
• Cough: (cough sugar free Bronchokod adults 5%); Exomuc; Fluimucil; Humex (dry cough oxomemazine caramel); Mucomyst; Toplexil without sugar; New Codion.
 
• Sore throat: Colludol; Drill; Drill tetracaine; Hexaspray; Humex sore throat; Maxilas sore throat; Strepsils Lidocaine; Sterne.
 
• Diarrhea: Ercéfuryl.

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DRUGS

Germany should make cannabis available at pharmacies not ‘coffee shops’, says FDP boss

Germany's possible new government could well relax the country's strict cannabis laws. But FDP leader Christian Lindner says he doesn't want to go down the Netherlands route.

Published: 18 October 2021 12:50 CEST
A demonstrator smokes a joint at the pro-cannabis Hanfparade in Berlin in August 2021.
A demonstrator smokes a joint at the pro-cannabis Hanfparade in Berlin in August 2021. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Annette Riedl

The Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) are set to engage in coalition talks in a bid to become the next German government.  And the future of cannabis will likely be one of the topics to be thrashed out.

In drug policy, the three parties are not too far apart in their positions. So it’s possible that the drug could be decriminalised.

However, nothing is set in stone and the parties still haven’t come to a common line on the question of where and to what extent cannabis could be accessed. 

The leader of the Liberal FDP, Christian Lindner, has now come out in favour of allowing cannabis products such as hashish to be sold in a controlled manner. 

Consumers should be allowed “to purchase a quantity for their own use, for example, in a pharmacy after health education,” Lindner told a live broadcast on German daily Bild on Sunday.

Lindner said he was sceptical about the sale in “coffee shops” according to the Dutch model. “I am in favour of controlled distribution, and therefore health education must be able to take place,” he said.

READ MORE: Patients in Germany still face hurdles accessing medical marijuana

People in the Netherlands can access cannabis products in coffee shops under the country’s tolerant drugs policy. However coffee shops have to follow certain strict conditions. For instance they are not allowed to sell large quantities to an individual. 

Lindner said his main aims were about “crime and health prevention” and not with “legalising a right to intoxication”.

It’s not clear if Lindner advocates for prescription-only cannabis for medical use, or an over-the-counter model. 

The FDP previously said that they they are in favour of the creation of licensed shops. Their manifesto highlights the health benefits, tax windfalls and reallocation of police resources that legalisation would create.

The Green party also want licensed shops, as well as a whole new approach to drug control starting with the controlled legalisation of marijuana. The Greens state that “strict youth and user protection” would be the centre point of their legislation and hope to “pull the rug from under the black market”.

The SPD also want a reform of Germany’s prohibition stance – but are more cautious than the smaller parties on the legalisation aspect. They would like to initially set up pilot projects. 

READ ALSO: Why Germany could be on the brink of legalising cannabis

Controversial topic

So far, the sale of cannabis is officially banned in Germany. Possession of cannabis is also currently illegal across the entire country. Those caught carrying the substance can face anything from a fine to five years in jail.

However, the justice system generally looks away if you are caught carry small quantities for personal use unless you have a previous conviction.

The definition of personal use differs from state to state, with Berlin having the most liberal rules and Bavaria the tightest.

It is estimated that around four million people regularly use cannabis in Germany.

Representatives of police unions in Germany have warned against legalisation. They argue that cannabis is an often trivialised drug that can lead to considerable health problems and social conflicts, especially among young people.

Oliver Malchow, from the GdP police union, said that “it doesn’t make any sense to legalise another dangerous drug on top of alcohol”.

The current Ministry of Health also continues to oppose the legalisation of cannabis, a spokesperson for Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) made clear. Cannabis is a dangerous substance and therefore legalisation is not advisable, the spokesman said. 

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