Phenylpropanolamine - Legal Status

Legal Status

In Europe, PPA is still available in prescription decongestants such as Rinexin, as well as over-the-counter medications such as Wick DayMed.

In the United Kingdom, PPA was available in many 'all in one' cough and cold medications which usually also feature paracetamol or another analgesic and caffeine and could also be purchased on its own, however it is no longer approved for human use. As of August 11, a European Category 1 Licence is required to purchase PPA for academic use.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public health advisory against the use of the drug in November 2000. In this advisory, the FDA requested that all drug companies discontinue marketing products containing PPA. The agency estimates that PPA caused between 200 and 500 strokes per year among 18-to-49-year-old users. In 2005, the FDA removed PPA from over-the-counter sale. Because of its potential use in amphetamine manufacture, it is controlled by the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005. It is still available for veterinary use in dogs, however, as a treatment for urinary incontinence.

Internationally, an item on the agenda of the 2000 Commission on Narcotic Drugs session called for including PPA in Table I of United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances

Drugs containing PPA were banned in India on 27 January 2011.