By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-05 17:07:32 | Updated at 2024-12-22 16:42:46
2 weeks ago
A pharmacist has revealed the biggest over-the-counter 'scam' medications.
Dr Grant Harting, a licensed pharmacist and founder of CrushCost, said that five drugs found at most US pharmacies are not worth buying due to high costs or being ineffective.
Common sleep, allergy, and even memory medications made the list of over-the-counter drugs deemed 'complete and utter trash.'
Dr Harting also shared a list of better and cheaper drugs that do the same thing - but better.
First on the list of duds was ZzzQuil, an over-the-counter sleep aid from the makers of DayQuil and NyQuil.
Sold as a syrup, ZzzQuil contains the active ingredient diphenhydramine, an antihistamine used to treat common allergic reactions.
Dr Harting noted that while there is nothing wrong with the medication, which costs $12 a bottle, there is nothing separating it from less expensive brands.
He said: 'It's not really a scam because it is effective, but this is just an antihistamine mixed with alcohol.
DR MYTH BUSTER: Dr Grant Harting, a licensed pharmacist, and TikTok star has revealed the meds he thinks are a scam
'What I typically recommend for folks is just the Dollar Tree versions. They're much more cost effective.'
The Mayo Clinic also advises only using antihistamine sleep aids like ZzzQuiil every now and then, as the brain quickly adapts to it and becomes reliant on them to fall sleep.
Sleep medications with diphenhydramine have also been shown to cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, dry mouth, and constipation, among other side effects.
Dr Harting also warned against Colace, a laxative containing the active ingredient docusate.
Docusate is meant to soften stool and treat occasional constipation.
However, Dr Harting pointed to a 2021 study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, which analyzed seven studies on docusate published between 1956 and 2021.
The researchers found that none of the studies showed a significant difference between docusate and a placebo when tested in people with constipation.
The team wrote: 'It is a misconception that docusate softens hard stool in constipation. The totality of clinical evidence shows that docusate is not different from placebo.'
Dr Harting instead recommended fiber supplements with psyllium husk, a plant-based source that can be found in brands like Metamucil and Benefiber.
Mucinex also made the list. This drug uses the active ingredient guaifenesin to help thin out mucus and help coughing clear it out.
Dr Harting suggested swapping ZzzQuil (left) with a generic version to avoid high costs
Dr Harting called memory supplement Prevagen (pictured here) a 'scam' that 'just doesn't do anything.' In 2017, the supplement's marketers were charged with false advertising
Ranging from $17 to $40 depending on the size, Dr Harting called the drug a 'racket' and pointed to a recent study testing it in teens and adults with respiratory infections like bronchitis.
The research found no difference in cough compared to a placebo.
Dr Harting said: 'This just isn't helpful for breaking up gunk in the lungs.'
He instead suggested using a saline nebulizer, an inhalent available with a prescription, or using a generic liquid decongestant, as these are more soothing.
Next on the scam list was Sudafed, an over-the-counter cough and cold medication that uses the active ingredient phenylephrine.
A recent FDA review found that phenylephrine is no more effective than a placebo because when metabolized in the gut, it can’t reach the bloodstream in sufficient levels, rendering it useless in providing relief.
Dr Harting also called Mucinex (left) a 'racket' and suggested a generic version (right) or a saline nebulizer
This has led the FDA to call for Sudafed's removal from drugstore shelves.
Dr Harting called over-the-counter Sudafed 'complete trash' that 'just doesn't work.'
He suggested using prescription-only Sudafed, which uses active ingredient pseudoephedrine.
However, he noted that it has been linked to high blood pressure.
The last medication was Prevagen, a supplement that claims to improve memory and cognition. It costs anywhere from $40 to $70 depending on the amount of capsules.
In 2017, the Federal Trade Commission and New York State Attorney General charged Prevagen marketers with false advertising, calling claims of improved memory 'clear-cut fraud.'
Dr Harting said: 'Prevagen is a scam, full stop. It just doesn't do anything.'
