NyQuil is Not NyQuil Anymore

As mentioned on their Web site, Vicks has removed pseudoephedrine from DayQuil and NyQuil because of its use in drug manufacturing. In DayQuil, they have replaced pseudoephedrine with phenylephrine, while NyQuil no longer contains a nasal decongestant. While this is annoying because I do rely on NyQuil when I get a cold, the interesting part is the reasoning behind the decision.

As I learned from a family friend who runs R&D at a large drug company, firms are developing alternatives to pseudoephedrine simply because they want their products to remain over-the-counter. When browsing an aisle, marketing (especially packaging) plays a big role - you pick NyQuil over the store brand because of the NyQuil brand. When you go to the pharmacist at Rite Aid, however, to get a product with pseudoephedrine, they are going to tell you that the Rite Aid brand is just as good and far cheaper than NyQuil. Vicks even admits as much on their Web site: "We wanted to be able to continue to provide NyQuil on store shelves so consumers could get it without having to ask the pharmacist." As with so many issues in so many industries, it boils down to shelf space (location, location, location).