Shocking big brand medicine mark-up revealed

Cost of branded over-the-counter medicine can be over 500% more expensive.

Brits are paying massive mark-ups for branded medicines according to new research.

he cost of branded over-the-counter pain killers and supplements such as Nurofen, Clarityn and Centrum, can be over 500% more expensive tan white label versions, according to the study by Voucherbox.co.uk.

No difference but the price

Despite containing exactly the same ingredients, big brands are charging far more for medicines than supermarket versions, 

A box of Nurofen painkillers costs an average of £2.01 for 16 tablets but generic alternatives offered by Asda and Tesco can be bought for 30p – a difference of 567%. Both products contain 200mg of ibuprofen.

“Brands invest heavily in imagery and advertising. They pay a premium to have their product at eye-level on the supermarket shelf,” says Peter Berry-Ottaway, technical director for the Council for Responsible Nutrition UK. “The generic versions do not tend to be supported by the same level of marketing and can therefore sell for less. But because of stringent regulations, generic products are as good quality as the best-selling brands.”

Hay fever sufferers also risk being ripped off with branded antihistamines costing far more than own brand. Supermarkets sell their own brand allergy relief medicines for as little as £1, while branded alternatives such as Clarityn are typically sold for £4.71 a pack.

If you like to top up your vitamin intake, the chances are you are also paying over the odds. Well-known multivitamin brand Centrum Advance costs as much as £5.59 at some pharmacies, but Lloyds Pharmacy sells their own A-Z multivitamin, with similar ingredients, for just £1.59 – three and a half times cheaper.

Another reason for the big difference in price is the cost of research and development. “Once the patent on the original version runs out, other companies are free to make their own version, and as they don’t bear the original development costs they can sell it much more cheaply,” says Professor Jayne Lawrence, chief scientist at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Price difference of medicines

Source: Voucherbox.co.uk

Don't get fooled into thinking that buying branded medicine will help you more - the tablets are essentially all the same, no matter how fancy the packaging! As you can see, the price difference can be absolutely astronomical.

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