Why Are Certain Cold Medicines Being Removed From Store Shelves?

Over-the-counter decongestants containing pseudoephedrine are commonly used to relieve stuffy noses.

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• France's medicines agency has warned people not to take pseudoephedrine-containing drugs due to stroke risks

• The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) safety committee — Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee, or PRAC — has started a safety review into the drugs

• PRAC’s review was prompted by cases of posterior reversible encephalopathy s…