The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is urging the public not to use nasal decongestant sprays for “longer than seven days in a row” to avoid the risk of “rebound congestion” which causes people to “become dependent” on the sprays to help them breathe.
“Clearer packaging” must be used for the sprays to “emphasis” the use limit, it said today (January 8), adding that a “greater public awareness” of safe alternatives is also needed.
Read more: POM to P switch for Sudafed Plus Blocked Nose nasal spray
The call comes after an RPS survey of over 300 community pharmacies found that nearly 60% of pharmacists think patients are “unaware of the risk” of misusing nasal decongestant sprays.
Using the sprays “beyond the maximum seven-day limit” can cause a “preventable condition where symptoms worsen and a cycle of dependency develops”, it warned.
Signs you might be “overusing” nasal sprays include needing to use the spray more often, feeling your congestion is worse when you stop, buying multiple bottles or “exceeding the recommended dose”, it said, adding that if this happens, people should “seek advice” from a pharmacist.
Refuse sale
The RPS survey also found that:
- 74% of surveyed community pharmacists believe the packaging “could be clearer” about the seven-day limit
- 63% have “intervened in cases of suspected over-use”, often recommending alternatives or “refusing sales”
Read more: What pharmacy staff need to know about nasal congestion and its triggers
RPS chief scientist Professor Amira Guirguis warned that using these sprays for more than the recommended period can “make your congestion significantly worse”.
“If your congestion lasts more than a week, speak to your pharmacist,” she stressed, adding that there are “safe and effective” alternative options available.
And National Pharmacy Association (NPA) chair Olivier Picard said that the body supports the RPS’ warnings, explaining that overusing nasal decongestant sprays “increases the risk of side effects”.
Read more: Supporting patients in making a clear choice on a nasal decongestant
“There are also many other medicines that should only be sold with caution because they may be abused or risk addiction or in other ways cause harm - from painkillers to laxatives,” he added.
“We are concerned that when a patient buys medication off the shelf in places such as a supermarket or a petrol station, they may be unaware of the potential side effects of what they are taking or how to safely take the medicine,” Picard said.
