There is no evidence that medicines for persistent coughs have any benefit, and one in seven patients actually experience negative side effects, a study has found.
Swiss researchers comparing the medications against a placebo found no examples where they significantly sped up recovery or improved patient wellbeing in any of the other areas tested.
This is despite more than $4bn (£3.1bn) being spent around the world each year on over-the-counter cough medicines, with the researchers saying there has been little work to evaluate all the medications on the market.
Instead of prescribing, Dr Benjamin Speich and his fellow authors from the University of Basel, Switzerland, said GPs should reassure patients that their symptoms will get better on their own without medication.
The findings come after Public Health England recommend patients take honey and hot drinks for sore throats instead of asking their doctor for antibiotics.
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