Pharmacist sets alarm: Nasal spray should be removed from store shelves

Læger issue warning: Næsespray should be removed from store shelves

The Danish Rhinological Society, the professional body for ear, nose and throat specialists, is calling for an end to the sale of nasal sprays such as Otrivin and Zymelin in kiosks, gas stations and supermarkets.

According to the society, Danish consumers have an excessive consumption of the product, and some develop addiction.

– We have a suspicion that there are too many who use nasal spray incorrectly. That they simply use them too many times a day and for too long. This concerns us, says Martin Glümer Kirkegaard, a member of the board of the Danish Rhinological Society.

The society has therefore contacted the Danish Medicines Agency with a proposal to limit the sale of nasal sprays, so that they can only be purchased at pharmacies.

– It is an appeal to remove nasal spray from retail, as there has been a significant increase in sales precisely there, says Martin Glümer Kirkegaard.

– We hope this can reduce addiction problems, he says.

Since nasal spray for colds was allowed to be sold in retail stores in 2001, sales have increased significantly.

Sales of nasal spray for colds were 1.5 million packages in 2000. In 2024, they were approximately 3.8 million packages. Today, retail stores account for 73% of sales.

Nasal spray is the second most popular over-the-counter medicine in retail stores.

Sources: Pharmacists' Association

Nasal spray relieves a blocked nose, but if it is used for longer than the recommended ten days, it can lose its effectiveness.

This can cause a swollen mucous membrane in the nose, as it ends up raising even more than it was to begin with.

The swollen mucous membrane makes it difficult to breathe, and in the worst case, the nasal septum can crack. Both parts can end up requiring surgery.

More patients

At several hospitals, doctors see patients with problems due to excessive use of nasal spray.

– Here we see at least one a day – maybe 20 a week – who use nasal spray incorrectly for one reason or another, says Kasper Aanæs, who is a surgeon at the Department of Otolaryngology at Rigshospitalet.

*See here, what can happen when you use nasal spray for too long:*

It is the Danish Medicines Agency that decides whether over-the-counter medicines such as Otrivin and Zymelin can be sold outside of pharmacies.

After the doctors' appeal, the agency is ready to take a closer look at the use of nasal spray.

– In the first instance, we are forced to examine the matter more closely, says unit manager Line Michan.

She points out that the agency has only received a few reports of side effects in the period when nasal spray for colds has been sold in retail stores.

– So we have asked doctors to come forward with more information about the side effects they see. When we have received this, we can evaluate what needs to be done to ensure patient safety, she says.

The task falls to the nose, ear and throat specialists.

– We encourage ear, nose and throat specialists and general practitioners to report side effects. Both about irritated noses and about addiction problems in patients who have excessive use of nasal spray, says Martin Glümer Kirkegaard.

– But we still have a concern that there is a hidden number, because people do not always come to us if they have problems with taking nasal spray, he says.

The companies Haleon and Orifarm are responsible for the sale of Otrivin and Zymelin in Denmark.

DR has presented the proposal from the Danish Rhinological Society to both companies.

They write to DR that it is important that their customers follow the guidance and recommendations to avoid swelling of the mucous membranes in the nose and other side effects by using their product for no more than ten days.

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