• Drill maux de gorge° tablets and syrup (alfa-amylase),  • MucoDrill° effervescent tablets (acetylcysteine) Pierre Fabre Médicament (Rev Prescrire n° 399)
 • Lysopaïne maux de gorge ambroxol° oromucosal spray, solution (ambroxol) Sanofi Aventis (Prescrire Int n° 184)  • Humex mal de gorge° lozenges (lidocaine + dichlorobenzyl alcohol + amylmetacresol) Urgo Healthcare (Rev Prescrire n° 399)    • Clarix état grippal°  powder for oral solution in sachets (paracetamol + chlorphenamine + vitamin C) Coopération Pharmaceutique Française (Rev Prescrire n° 400)
The principle of an umbrella brand is to sell various medicines containing different active substances, with different dangers, under the same trademark. This marketing strategy,
based on brand recognition, can lead to confusion between drugs of the same umbrella brand and unawareness of certain risks, such as drug interactions. The risk of error is increased by the visual resemblance between medicines from the same range, which all display the umbrella brand name in large, bold characters and share the same typographic style and graphics. INNs are often barely readable. Umbrella brands are still not prohibited in France as of early 2018.

 • Activox rhume pélargonium° oral solution (Pelargonium root extract) Arkopharma (Rev Prescrire n° 399)
For being part of an umbrella brand and for including the falsely reassuring statement in the patient leaflet that "no interactions have been reported", whereas Pelargonium root extracts contain coumarin derivatives and a risk of increasing the effect of oral anticoagulants has not been ruled out.

 • Delprim° tablets (trimethoprim) DB Pharma (Rev Prescrire n° 406)
For not giving due prominence to the INN on blister packs or sufficient information in the patient leaflet about the risks during pregnancy. The patient leaflet does not explain the
risk of teratogenicity when trimethoprim is taken during the first trimester (neural tube closure defects, oral clefts, urinary tract abnormalities and congenital heart defects), and does not warn patients that exposure during the 3 months before pregnancy also seems to be associated with a higher incidence of congenital malformations.

 • Epclusa° tablets (sofosbuvir + velpatasvir) Gilead Sciences (Rev Prescrire n° 410)
For the bulk bottle and for providing insufficient information in the patient leaflet about adverse effects. The patient leaflet omits the known harms of sofosbuvir (arrhythmias, neutropenia, etc.) and most of the adverse effects that occurred during the clinical development of the sofosbuvir + velpatasvir combination, in particular: irritability, insomnia, rash, and depression.

 • Cosimprel° 5 mg/10 mg and 10 mg/5 mg tablets (bisoprolol+ perindopril) Servier (Rev Prescrire n° 408)
For the strong visual resemblance between the labelling of the boxes and bulk bottles of these two combinations with "mirror-image" dose strengths (5 mg/10 mg and 10 mg/5 mg), which could cause dosing errors.

 • Kayexalate° powder for oral or rectal suspension (sodium polystyrene sulfonate) Sanofi Aventis (Rev Prescrire n° 407)
For failing to provide the means necessary for accurate dose preparation: multidose bulk jar with a spoon instead of single-dose sachets for adults; and no dosage form or dosing device suitable for children, necessitating extemporaneous preparation by a pharmacist. And for the lack of a child-proof closure on a jar containing such a large quantity of drug.

 • Biocalyptol°   • Biocalyptol sans sucre° Zambon,  • Dimétane° Biocodex,  • Hexapneumine adultes°  • Hexapneumine enfants° Bouchara Recordati, syrups (pholcodine) (Prescrire Int n° 184)
For the absence of a child-proof cap on the bottle of these 5 pholcodine-containing medicines, exposing children to the risk of serious adverse effects, in particular respiratory depression, if they accidentally ingest the contents.

 • Ferrostrane° syrup (sodium feredetate) Teofarma,  • Fumafer° chocolate-flavoured oral powder (iron) Sanofi Aventis (Rev Prescrire n° 405)
For marketing these two medicines for five decades in a bottle without a child-proof cap, exposing children to the risk of accidental ingestion of iron and its serious and potentially
fatal adverse effects. As of early 2018, a child-proof cap has finally been added to Ferrostrane° bottles in France.

 • Nausicalm° (dimenhydrinate) Nogues (Rev Prescrire n° 410)
For the absence of a child-proof cap on the bottle, exposing children to the risk of accidental ingestion of this antihistamine and its serious and potentially fatal adverse effects. In response to our query, the company informed us that a child-proof cap is planned for late 2018.

 • Colchicine Opocalcium° tablets (colchicine),  • Colchimax° tablets (colchicine + opium powder + tiemonium) Mayoly-Spindler (Rev Prescrire n° 402, Prescrire Int n° 187)
For lacking any specific safety features to make it harder for children to gain access to the tablets, which could result in a potentially fatal colchicine overdose. The box could have a safety catch, or the blister pack could have a child-resistant film, combined if necessary with a tool to help remove tablets.

 • Vogalib° oral lyophilisate (metopimazine) Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals (Rev Prescrire n° 403)
For not giving due prominence on the box or blister packs to the INN, whereas every possible effort should be made to help patients and health professionals identify the presence of metopimazine, a drug with neuroleptic properties.

 • Bactérix° hard capsules (nifuroxazide) Gifrer Barbezat (Prescrire Int n° 187)
For not displaying the INN on the blister pack, which makes it difficult for patients and health professionals to identify the presence of nifuroxazide, a drug that can provoke severe
allergic reactions and immunological adverse effects.

 • Skudexum° tablets (tramadol 75 mg + dexketoprofen 25 mg) Menarini (Rev Prescrire n° 409)
For giving insufficient prominence on the box and blister pack to the INNs and the quantity of tramadol present. The labelling therefore makes it difficult to understand the composition
of the tablets, yet patients and health professionals ought to be able to easily identify the presence of opioids in medicines to avoid any confusion, and in particular the risk of unwitting concomitant use of several opioid-containing medicines.