Table 3.

Pre- and post-warning prescription rates per 1000 person years of individual cough and cold medicines

	The Netherlands				Italy
Class of CCM		2005	2008	P value		2005	2008	P value
Expectorants	Combinations*	4.3	1.7	<0.01	Combinations‡	4.1	5.0	0.24
	Thyme syrup	14.8	0.8	<0.01
	Althea root	0	0.08	0.40
Mucolytics	Bromhexine	4.4	3.2	0.16	Ambroxol	17.6	19.8	0.13
	Acetylcysteine	2.0	2.0	0.93	Sobrerol	16.0	20.2	<0.01
	Carbocisteine	0.2	0	0.47	Carbocisteine	13.4	14.0	0.65
	Dornase alpha	0	.08	0.40	Bromhexine	9.7	8.2	0.14
Opium alkaloids and derivatives	Noscapine	3.7	14.1	<0.01	Dextromethorphan	3.8	1.8	<0.01
	Codeine	0.8	0.4	0.88	Codeine	2.3	0.9	<0.01
					Combinations§	0.7	0.2	0.01
Other cough suppressants	Pentoxyverine	7.4	6.2	0.30	Levodropropizine	14.8	10.8	<0.01
	Combinations†	0.6	0	0.28	Cloperastine	5.6	5.0	0.40
					Clobutinol	0.2	0	0.42
Nasal sympathomimetics	Xylometazoline	51	73	<0.01	Phenylephrine	0.8	0.1	<0.01
	Oxymetazoline	0.1	0.4	0.21	Naphazoline	0.1	0	0.48
Combinations of nasal sympathomimetics	–				Ephedrine based	4.6	0.2	<0.01
					Tuaminoheptane based	2.9	0.1	<0.01

^*Combinations containing promethazine, oxomemazine, guaiacol, ipecacuanha.

^†Combinations containing pentoxyverine, terpenes, thyme.

^‡Combinations containing terpenes, eucalyptus, guaiacol, thyme.

^§Combinations containing pentetrazol, dihydrocodeine, codeine, dextromethorphan, pseudoephedrine, triprolidine.

–, not available in the Netherlands.