Cold-remedy confusion may prompt new rules

March 04, 2005|Associated Press

CHICAGO -- Standing in a chain drugstore, Beth McClanahan considered the product Zicam. ''I wouldn't have known it was homeopathic," she said. ''Zicam sounds very scientific."

Stuffy noses and sore throats drive many to herbal and homeopathic remedies. But like McClanahan, consumers may not realize they're buying alternative medicines when they choose wildly popular products such as Airborne and Zicam -- both shelved alongside conventional medicines.

The makers of both kinds of medicines have paid for studies to test their products. But Airborne and Zicam have not been reviewed for safety and effectiveness by the Food and Drug Administration, unlike prescription and new over-the-counter drugs. The law allows their sale until the FDA proves them harmful.

''I think it's quite confusing for consumers to try to sort out which things have some data showing they actually work," said Dr. Ronald B. Turner, a cold virus expert at the University of Virginia.

Homeopathic products are labeled as such. Zicam, which contains zinc, is the third-leading nasal spray. Airborne is an effervescent tablet containing Chinese herbs and echinacea.

''There's a reason for the success of these products. Consumers want them, and they're effective," said Rider McDowell, cofounder of the company that created Airborne. But the Institute of Medicine wants tougher rules to make sure they're safe and effective.

And Steven Dentali of the American Herbal Products Association says his group wants new rules, such as mandatory reporting of adverse side effects. ''We think our safety record's going to look pretty good," he said, compared to some prescriptions.