alt Hacker NewsThe need to show an ID to purchase real pseudoephedrine (feels like an oxymoron to write that) can be a legitimate PITA. I am American who lives abroad but is frequently back in the U.S. for family reasons. I suffer from sinus problems, so I periodically need to purchase pseudoephedrine-based products. Because I have no state ID, the show-ID-based workflow essentially fails. For whatever reason, the pharmacies won't take a U.S. passport (or foreign ID card), so they end up spending 15 minutes futzing with the data entry software, only to resign to entering garbage into the system.
And as OP points out: Phenylephrine is 100% useless.
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I was 17 for my first few months of college and got horribly sick and congested. The school pharmacy wouldn't sell me the real Sudafed because of my age... not sure if that was part of the nationwide Patriot Act restrictions on Sudafed or a specific state law. I thought about getting someone of age to buy it for me but I was too much of a goody two shoes to go through with it.
I ended up going to the doctor and getting sent home with a bottle of opioid cough syrup. Fortunately didn't end up addicted or anything, but it was very frustrating at the time.
Stores around me stopped selling it altogether because they got tired of dealing with both the registry itself and the customers who get irate when told they're going on a list for buying cold medicine. It sucks but I can't say I blame them.
Phenylephrine is useless. As an extra added bonus, it will still spike your blood pressure, so it isn't just useless, it's dangerous to people with high blood pressure.
Nasal irrigation is the way to go for sinus trouble. It's more work and takes a little getting used to, but no ID needed to buy saline and baking soda packets, and it actually works.