Report says some cold medicine is ineffective

(CNN) – A Food and Drug Administration Committee has confirmed fake Sudafed doesn’t work at all.

Back in 2006, cold medications containing pseudoephedrine were moved behind pharmacy counters because the drug could be processed into methamphetamine.

But it is also an effective and long-used decongestant.

Forced to find a substitute, drug companies started marketing medications containing phenylephrine instead.

Now, 17 years later, an independent advisory committee told the FDA that drug is ineffective as a decongestant.

The vote among the committee’s 16 members was unanimous.

It means drug companies sell about $1.8 billion worth of cold remedies each year that are known to be ineffective.

The committee advised the FDA drugs that don’t work shouldn’t be sold.

The agency said it will study the recommendation.