‘Medicines to avoid in 2025’ list published by French medical review
Of 106 medicines, 88 are still available to buy in France
Many of the medicines are still available, but not advised
nokwalai/Shutterstock
France’s annual list of medicines to avoid has been published, with 88 of those on the new list still available to buy in France.
Medical review Prescrire publishes an updated list every year. The new full list for 2025 names 106 medicines to avoid.
These medicines are not necessarily dangerous, although some can be, but they are considered to have a negative risk-benefit ratio meaning that the risk of side effects outweighs the benefits of taking the drug. In some cases the ‘benefits’ of taking the drug are considered non-existent, Prescrire states.
Read also: Why are ‘medicines to avoid’ allowed to stay in circulation in France?
Most of the drugs on the ‘avoid’ list have alternatives that are considered safer and/or more effective.
The medicines are categorised by medical area, including diabetes and nutrition, gynaecology and endocrinology, cardiology, pain, infectious diseases, psychiatry, neurology, and gastro-enterology.
Read also: ‘Medicines to avoid in 2024’ list published by French medical review
Medicines on the ‘to avoid’ hit list include:
Medicated clays (for acute diarrhoea). These include diosmectite (brand name Smecta), hydrotalcite (Rennieliquo), beidellitic montmorillonite (Bedelix). Because of the risk of natural lead contamination, Prescrire instead recommends clay-free antacids or omeprazole (Mopral), particularly for children.
Antiemetics (for nausea and vomiting). These include domperidone and droperidol (brand name Droleptan), and metopimazine (Vogalene) should also be avoided. These are linked to heart rhythm disorders, strokes and sudden deaths.
Fenfluramine (for epilepsy). An amphetamine generally used to treat severe forms of infantile epilepsy (brand name Fintepla), this has been re-added to the list (after having been removed in previous years), due to the risk of convulsive seizures.
Oxomemazine (cough suppressant). Sold under the brand name Toplexil, this has a strong sedative effect.
Pentoxyverine (cough suppressant). This carries the risk of serious allergic reactions and heart problems. For both wet and dry coughs, Prescrire recommends avoiding the use of medication completely and eating good quality honey instead.
The publication also said that while phloroglucinol, marketed under brand name Spasfon and used to treat stomach upsets, is not on its list, its effectiveness is disputed. It said that there is a risk of “significant” side-effects, “especially if taken by young women”.
Prescrire also highlights medicines whose “efficacy has not been proven”, it states, and for which a placebo has been shown to perform neither better nor worse than the drug itself.
For many of these, there is a more effective alternative. For example, among muscle relaxants and antidepressants, the report states that fluoxetine (Prozac) is preferable to agomelatine (Valdoxan) and tianeptine (Stablon).
